“[Huff.] Attention to everyone in the dorms. From now until 9:30 p.m., it’s free time.”

About ten minutes after we finished dinner and returned to our rooms, Jang Jinseong’s voice suddenly boomed from the speakers.

“All facilities within the training center, including the outdoor training grounds, are available for your use. However, leaving the training center grounds is not permitted. If you have questions about the facilities or anything else, please come to the office in the center of the dorm building.”

As soon as the announcement ended, Jin Cheongryong stood up and headed outside.

Right after him went Zen from Magicka, Jang Taeil from Dai, and even Toby.

“Where’s everyone going?”

Rio tilted his head and looked at me.

“They’re probably going for self-training.”

At my answer, Rio looked briefly surprised, then scowled.

“Free time just started and they’re going to train? After a mountain hike, a brain-melting lecture, and a game-style spar? Not me. Can’t. Won’t.”

I stood up.

“What—don’t tell me you’re going to train too, Yein?”

“No. It’s our first day and we’ve got time, so I figured I’d look around the HAUT facilities.”

In the game, you couldn’t do much outside the scheduled program at HAUT.

But now that the world of Latesai had become reality, there might be things I didn’t know yet.

With that thought, I couldn’t just sit still.

“Oh, that actually sounds fun.”

Rio sprang to his feet.

“I’ll take my squad and look around too.”

Humming, he slipped out.

When I stepped into the hallway, it was already crowded. A line had formed in front of the office.

“Where did Instructor Abel go?”

Someone asked from the front of the line.

When I got closer, I saw Jang Jinseong and Maria from Ucheon Academy inside the office.

“Mr. Abel has gone home. He’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“Huh? I thought he was staying with us.”

“Mr. Abel is in charge from morning until evening. From now until tomorrow morning, I’ll be overseeing you.”

“What… I thought Instructor Abel would be with us.”

Maria looked completely deflated. Most of the girls in line wore the same expression.

“Any other questions?”

“No.”

Maria left the office.

“Maria!”

“Oh, Rio.”

“I’m taking my team on a tour of the facilities. Come with us.”

“Sounds good! Think Belle will go?”

“We’ll drag her if we have to!”

“Deal!”

Cheerful as ever, the two split off toward the left and right dorm wings.

“Yein!”

I turned at the call. Lumina was there, with Meiling and Seo Yui beside her.

“Well, perfect timing,” Meiling said as I approached. “We were just coming to grab you and look around together.”

“Ah, same idea as us,” Lumina said with a smile.

“Then let’s go.”

All three nodded.

The first thing we saw after leaving the dorm building was the group at the outdoor training grounds.

The four from Martial God Academy were sprinting around the perimeter at a frightening pace.

They were so fast that a single blink put them somewhere else entirely.

“As expected of Martial God—everyone’s quick,” Seo Yui said, staring with interest. She had the best stamina affinity among us.

“At that speed, they’re all at least A in Physical Fitness Affinity, right?”

I nodded. I didn’t need a lens to confirm it.

If they’d made it to HAUT from Martial God, it was only natural.

We headed for the building where the entrance ceremony and the classes had been held.

“Oh, there’s a training room in the basement,” Lumina said, pointing to the sign on the landing.

It read: Mental Strength Training Room.

“Do they make you stand under iron balls and tough it out here too?” Meiling grimaced.

“We’ll know once we look.”

I led the three downstairs to B1.

The door to the training room was shut. I tapped my smartwatch to the security panel; the door opened automatically, revealing the interior.

“Wow. It’s way bigger than Gwangcheon’s,” Lumina said.

The wide space was completely empty.

Then a voice came from the ceiling speakers.

“Welcome. This is the Mental Strength Training Room. Please select your desired program.”

A holographic screen appeared on the wall.

We all fell silent as we read the program list.

“…These are all torture devices,” Seo Yui muttered.

There was the iron-ball setup we’d seen at Gwangcheon—but with a spike option. An electric chair. A lidded water tank. An automatic flogging machine.

All sorts of mental-fortitude devices the game had glossed over were listed in painful detail.

“Let’s leave.”

No one disagreed.

We fled the Mental Strength Training Room and went in search of other facilities.

“This one’s the Stamina Training Room,” Meiling said, reading another basement sign.

Like the mental room, it had a security panel. We tapped in and entered—only to find a circle of students seated on cushions in the middle.

“….”

Meiling’s face hardened.

Inside were the four from Magica Academy: red-haired Rune, navy-haired Zen, a black-haired boy with long sideburns, and a large girl with purple hair.

All four sat with wands in hand, eyes closed.

They were so focused that they didn’t notice we’d come in.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Meiling said, and walked straight out.

A shame. I wanted a closer look at how the Stamina Training Room worked.

I’d come back alone later.

After that, we toured the second-floor self-study room, the multipurpose practice rooms, and a few more spots before heading outside.

“The inside facilities are nice, sure, but nothing that special. HAUT’s training center isn’t a big deal,” Meiling sniffed.

“There are probably more devices and sites outside this building,” I said, thinking back to how HAUT worked in the game.

“Right, the mountain earlier was full of traps and robots. So there must be more facilities outside the grounds too, right?” Meiling said, eyeing the perimeter.

“Probably. But we can’t go. The committee told us not to leave the training center grounds.”

I glanced at her excited face.

“If we get caught, we could be expelled.”

“W-Who said I was going out? Honestly, you nag…”

I was certain: if no one stopped her, Meiling would already be gone.

And thanks to the smartwatch on her wrist, she’d be caught immediately and kicked out.

Voices drifted from ahead.

“….”

I looked toward the sound—and nearly clicked my tongue.

Iris was heading our way with her squad.

“….”

She spotted us too; her face tightened.

So did everyone else’s—Toby pressed his lips together, and behind him Jo Inhu and Hashima Muimi also stiffened.

The aftershocks of King’s Guard, no doubt.

“Uh…”

Maybe it was the clear hostility rolling off the Crystal squad, but Lumina flinched and ducked behind me.

Their destination seemed to be the building behind us, so the four kept coming—and finally stopped in front of us.

“Do you have something to say?” I asked, looking straight at Iris.

“Tch.”

Iris clicked her tongue, shot me a glare, and walked right past.

Jo Inhu and Muimi followed their leader, leaving.

“……”

But Toby stayed behind, staring straight at me.

The three others soon noticed he hadn’t followed and turned back.

“Toby, what’s wrong?” Iris asked.

Toby didn’t answer her. His gaze stayed locked on me.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“I wondered if maybe this way, I’d be able to see through you a little.”

“…What?”

I had no idea what he meant.

“Nothing. Sorry for wasting your time.”

With that, Toby turned and walked off toward his squad.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Meiling said, glaring after him with a baffled look.

I, too, couldn’t make sense of it and kept watching Toby’s retreating back—until Seo Yui spoke.

“Maybe it’s because he lost to your strategy earlier.”

“Ah.”

So that’s what he meant. He wanted to read my mind.

Even though I already knew Toby was the type to say exactly what he was thinking, I still spent a moment wondering what his intention really was.

“Either way, it’s clear Crystal’s treating us with more caution than before.”

“Seems that way.”

I nodded to Seo Yui.

“Phew.”

Fresh from her shower, Seo Yui climbed onto her dorm bed and began putting her toiletries away.

The dorm building had two large shower rooms, spacious enough that no one ever had to wait.

There were proper locker rooms inside as well, so there was nothing inconvenient about it.

With facilities this good, why do so many people still look so sour-faced?

“Ugh.”

The door opened, and Meiling walked in with her hair wrapped up in a towel.

She climbed onto her bed and rummaged through her backpack, then frowned.

“What is it?” Seo Yui asked.

“I left my hair dryer at the academy dorm.”

“Ah.”

“Did you bring one?”

“No. Didn’t even think to.”

“What? How could you not bring one?”

“Beats me.”

“….”

Meiling stared at Seo Yui’s half-lidded, expressionless face, then sighed, slipped her slippers back on, and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Next room. Lumina probably has one I can borrow.”

“I’ll come too.”

Seo Yui slipped into her slippers.

The dryer was one reason—but she had another, more important motive.

Following Meiling into the next room, Seo Yui quickly scanned the occupants.

Good. She’s not here.

Rune Maya of Magicka was gone, probably off showering.

“There it is.”

Meiling walked farther inside.

Lumina sat there, drying her hair.

“Lumina.”

“!?”

Startled by her name suddenly called from behind, Lumina stiffened, then slowly turned her head.

“O-Oh. Meiling… it’s you.”

“What? Why are you so jumpy?”

“S-Sorry…”

Though she had nothing to apologize for, Lumina bowed her head.

Meiling snorted.

“You don’t need to be so tense. We’re all about the same age. No one’s going to eat you.”

“Exactly!”

“Kyah!”

Suddenly hugged from behind, Lumina squeaked and flung the dryer.

Seo Yui leapt up and snatched it out of the air.

“I’ve been watching all day—she’s been on edge nonstop,” Maria said, grinning as she held Lumina tight.

“Miss Maria…”

“Just call me Maria, okay? We fought on the same side. Don’t make it sound so distant.”

“Uh, um…” Lumina’s eyes darted wildly.

“….”

Watching them, Meiling’s expression grew darker.

“Cut it out. Lumina doesn’t like it.”

She shoved herself between them, prying Maria away.

“Ah, sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?”

“N-No, it’s not that…”

“I’ll be careful next time~. So, why’d you two come by?”

“For this.”

Seo Yui handed the dryer back to Lumina.

“Go ahead and use it, Senior. I’m done with it.”

“Meiling, you go first. I can wait.”

Lumina turned her eyes toward Meiling.

“Want me to dry your hair?”

Meiling glanced at Maria.

“Sure. Do it.”

“Okay!” Lumina smiled.

“You two are close. I’m jealous.”

Maria chuckled, then turned her gaze toward the far bunk.

There, Belle sat silently, dropping liquid from a dropper into a flask.

Just then, the door opened.

Rune entered, red hair damp from the shower.

Damn.

Seo Yui realized her mistake.

She should’ve grabbed the dryer and gone back immediately. She’d overlooked when Rune might return—and now it was too late.

“….”

“….”

Rune and Meiling locked eyes.

Seo Yui hurried to step between them—

“Lumina. I’ll borrow the dryer.”

“Huh? I’m not finished—”

“It’s fine. I’ll bring it back.”

“O-Okay.”

Meiling picked up the dryer and looked at Seo Yui.

“Well? You coming?”

“…Yeah. Let’s go.”

As they left, Seo Yui cast one more glance back.

Rune hadn’t spared Meiling so much as a look—she just went straight to her seat.

Out in the hall, Seo Yui murmured, “I thought you’d fight.”

“Do you think I’m some rabid mutt looking for a brawl?”

Meiling snorted.

“If I fought her here, it’d just make things harder for Lumina. She’s already nervous enough as it is.”

Ahh.

A smile tugged at Seo Yui’s lips.

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing. Let’s go dry our hair.”

She kept her smile.

“Tch.”

Meiling clicked her tongue and turned away. Her ears were faintly red.

(End of Chapter)

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