The first stop of the campus tour, under Glacia's strong recommendation, was the training center. It was a 35-meter-tall, rectangular building with a giant glass dome above its ceiling. It was located in the center of the campus with its huge, transparent gates facing the entrance of the campus.
Glacia scurried up the grand staircase before the training center and turned around to yell at the two boys, "Faster!"
Not changing his ambling pace, Hiroku took a peek at his phone and replied with a volume louder than usual but still smaller than Glacia's, "It's still, like, 40 minutes before dinner. No need to rush."
Even behind Hiroku, Loter shuffled forward, yelling back at Glacia, "I haven't eaten anything ever since I got onto that cable car. That is—I don't even know how many hours ago."
"Come on," Glacia exclaimed, "Dinner is about half an hour—"
"40 minutes," Hiroku corrected.
"—away. Just bear a few more minutes, and you will be fine," Glacia finished her sentence, jogging into the building.
Behind its large gates, the 10-meter-high first floor of the training center contained a shallow lobby and two abutting rooms that seemed much wider than the lobby. The staircase was at the furthest left of the floor, while the elevator was at the right. At the center of the lobby, two kiosks neighbored each other. The kiosks had touchscreens that were of an adult's height, like two giant smartphones standing on the ground. Both lighted up as Glacia halted before them.
While Glacia was pressing virtual buttons, Loter followed Hiroku into the building. He looked around and spotted the three vending machines on each side of the lobby.
Hm? Why are there so many vending machines here? I have never seen a single one of them in Cavium or anywhere else in Coral Cobble.
"Hiroku, the vending machines. I heard they are only common in Haban. Why are there so many of them here?" Loter asked with an evident growl coming out of his belly.
"The school can't hire many people if it wants to keep its clandestineness."
"But the school still needs to hire maintenance people."
"Not really," Hiroku explained, "All the maintenance of this campus is done by City Weaver."
City Weaver. Is he talking about the City Weaver who has the ability to manipulate infrastructures like clay?
"Really, that City Weaver?"
"Yes, the one that was supposed to die decades ago."
"Cool." Loter's stomach rumbled loudly again.
Hiroku just paused there for two seconds, like he was hesitating about whether he was supposed to say this. Then, he decided to just say it.
"Aren't you hungry? You can get something from the vending machines."
While Loter was busy buying chocolate energy bars with Hiroku's money, a boy exited one of the abutting rooms.
He had a buzz cut and a red jersey, which had a golden "1" printed in front. The outfit made his muscular core merely discernible. His naked arms were patently lean and toned, though. His great physique was also displayed in his hairy, thick shanks that were not covered by his dark blue shorts.
"Key, the new kid is here," Glacia called.
"Right. 'Ow you doing, pal?" The boy named Key had light brown skin and an accent similar to those elsewhere in Coral Cobble.
He scurried to Glacia and gave Loter an up-nod. Loter just sat against the vending machine, chewing his energy bar.
"We are showing the kid around. You join?" Glacia invited as she walked toward Loter and Hiroku.
"I 'aven't finished my training yet, but sure. Did Mr. Dowii tell you to do it?"
"You'd be surprised." Glacia turned around, walking backward, with her eyes opened wide and lips curling up. "It's actually Hiroku's idea."
Key quickly peeked at the listless Habanese. "Cap! That gloomy would never volunteer to anything like that."
"I think he really likes him."
Loter waved at Key as he and Glacia approached and continued with his energy bar. Beside him, three more identical ones were stacked atop one another. They were all from the same brand, "Hiker."
"You sure love this brand," Key commented jokingly.
Glacia stood a few steps behind Key, and Hiroku leaned against the vending machine with his lower ponytail lying on his shoulder. His visage was dull, as usual.
"Yeah, it's great. You want some?" Loter picked one up from the floor and reached it toward Key. However, since Loter was sitting, Key would need to either stoop down to an uncomfortable level or get uncomfortably close to Loter if he intended to take the offer. Unsurprisingly, Loter had literally no idea about that.
Hiroku shifted his eyes away and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.
"I'm alright. You can keep it. I know 'ow tiring it is to get into the campus."
"Exactly!" Loter exclaimed, still chewing, "I actually fainted halfway—"
"No shit?" Glacia said.
"—so Vice Principal Neosol actually carried me into the school. Well, at least—"
"Damn," said Key.
"—that's what the doctor told me."
"You mean the health center lady?" Glacia asked.
"Yeah."
"She's probably just messing with you," Key said before Glacia could, so she had to embarrassedly close her open mouth.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Maybe."
With some obvious irritation, Glacia pouted her lips and asked, "Does any of you remember we are here for the campus tour?"
"Yup," Key replied and reached out a hand to Loter.
"Are we leaving, or are we going upstairs?" asked Loter. He held Key's hand and pulled himself up.
"Let Key explain what this building is for first," Glacia stated. She crossed her arms before her chest. Although her lips were no longer pouting, she was not smiling either.
Key stole a glimpse of Glacia and instantly locked his sight on Loter. He cleared his throat and began, "This building is the training center. The rooms behind those two doors, right there, are general training rooms. You 'ave equipment inside and other stuff. Also, the room is really strong, so normally, people don't just blow that place off. Some with more dangerous abilities 'ave to go upstairs to specified training spaces. For example, 'iroku!" Key extended his arms separately toward the head and feet of Hiroku, rocking his opened palms. "He got here because he blew up an entire basement back in the city campus."
Hiroku unpleasantly complained, "You don't need to—"
"Wow." Loter asked the annoyed Habanese, "How does your ability work?"
Hiroku rolled his eyes and sighed. "I can summon the power of a monster from another plain in the form of magic spheres. They said if I try to merge two spheres together, I might cause a nuclear-sized explosion."
"Wow," Loter repeated. Hiroku faced away under the admiration flashing out of Loter's sight.
"That's 'ow he blew up a basement," Key added. "Anyway, my ability is not as astonishing. Basically, I can see calculations. For example, when I'm playing basketball, I can see the ball's trajectory before throwing it. I'm only 'ere because I'm born in Coral Cobble."
"And I can create earthquakes," Glacia immediately followed with her own exposition, "I am sort of the princess of underground people who can control—"
"No, you're just a mixed-blood," Hiroku abruptly interjected. His lips faintly curled up a bit. Blushing, Glacia looked away with a grunt while Key was barely holding his laughter.
Excited to explain his own power, Loter pumped his fists and said, "I can run very fast and punch very hard, also, some self-healing."
"Practical," Key commented.
Glacia ignored him and told Loter, "You are here with us. It must mean you are very good at them, Loter."
"Thanks, Glacia."
"Maybe you can show them to us now. We are at the training center."
Key yawned and rejected, "I've turned the room off already. We will see it tomorrow, anyway. No rush, pal."
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The next stop of the tour was the basketball court. The trip was casually quiet until Hiroku announced he had to head back to the dorm.
"What's wrong? I can go with you," Loter said and watched Hiroku Kayama strode away.
"It's fine. No need," Hiroku replied with a low and tired voice.
"Oh, okay," Loter turned back. Then, he was startled when Glacia suddenly sprinted past him to chase Hiroku. Loter wanted to follow, yet Key put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, give the couple some space."
Loter gaped and exclaimed, "They are in a relationship? I didn't notice at all!"
"Don't worry. You'll notice it after being forced to watch them flirting for a year. Well, not necessarily flirting, but yup, they do 'ave a thing."
"But about the tour?"
"You still 'ave me, don't you, pal?" Key slightly tilted his upper body and extended his arms to two sides.
"Yeah."
"Also, another thing."
"Yeah?"
"You 'aven't told me your name yet. Mine is Key Rayth."
"Oh yeah. My name is Loter Spawman. You can call me Loter. I'm from Cavium."
"I'll call you Lot. You mind?"
Lot? Am I getting a nickname? Wow, that must mean we are good friends now. Great.
"Okay." Loter delightedly approved. "And I will call you…"
How to make Key shorter? It is literally a single syllable.
"K., maybe?" Key shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah, I can go with K.," Loter answered as the two continued their way to the basketball court. They walked past several other students and mentors. Key could greet every single one of them uniquely, whereas Loter just affably waved at them with an artificial smile. Some of them did not care enough to bother. Those who cared stopped at the stage of introducing names. Granted, Loter actually felt quite good about it. He never got people asking his name when he passed by in his old school.
Loter glanced over his shoulder to make sure the passerby had gone far away. "K., I think I'm famous!" He continued strolling with a tiny spring on each step.
"For real?" Key asked, not looking back at Loter. He just kept striding forward with a weirdly sedate pace.
"Yeah, they are curious about my name," Loter explained incautiously, not expecting anything to happen.
That was when Key suddenly spun around and swept his leg at Loter.
Having no preparation, Loter could not react to this. The top of Key's foot easily landed on his cheek.
Loter's entire body rotated while tottering backward.
"You said you are good at punching. Let's see how good you are." Key instantly did a high kick as Loter regained his balance.
"No, no—" Loter raised his hands before his face and groaned when Key's sole landed on his forearm. The pain had Loter holding his attacked arm against his stomach. He doubled up and said, "You don't under—"
Key ended the sentence by jabbing into Loter's face. "It's alright, you have self-healing, don't you? I won't hit you too hard." Subconsciously, he cracked a spontaneous smile while Loter stumbled to the ground.
Loter wiped his bleeding nostrils and got back on his feet, panting. "It's not about me. I don't want to hurt you." He knew enough to understand that he was too dangerous of an opponent for Key. If the vision thing was Key's only superpower, Loter could actually kill him in a single hit.
However, Key had no awareness of this at all. His smile vanished upon hearing Loter's persuasion. He exclaimed, "Don't you dare look down at me. I don't need to be pitied."
Key charged forward with a powerful left hook. Merely Dodging it, Loter heard the air being slashed through before him. Fine, I will just show him what I mean without hurting him too much.
Loter launched his left fist forward, intentionally aiming lower than regular to avoid hitting the head.
Key deftly slapped the left fist to the right, making Loter's right arm blocked by his left one.
Instantly, Key whipped Loter in the face.
The two distanced as Loter staggered away. He then threw a right hook.
Key dodged by a slight shift backward. Simultaneously, he grabbed Loter's elbow before the hook could fly past him.
Loter tried to defend but was not fast enough.
Key struck his own elbow into Loter's nose.
A strand of nasal blood splashed in the air. Loter was swept in the leg and face-punched again.
Following, Key hit Loter in the stomach and kneed his jaw. "Is this all you—"
Loter jabbed his fist forward.
The punch was spontaneous, containing no thought or reasoning. It was the same type of attack he performed on that dead gangster.
Oh fuck. Loter gasped at that moment. He paused like a broken computer, unable to open his eyes. His mind swung between the concept of killing a friend and killing a classmate. Both were equally bad.