After months of using his abilities, Giovanni was impressed by the difference.
The first time he tested his limits, creating a wide, thick wall required his total focus for a long ten seconds. On the battlefield, that was practically an entire lifetime.
After twelve weeks had passed, a wall of the same magnitude could be built in just over three seconds.
It still was not an acceptable time for a real fight, but reducing the total time by two-thirds was progress worthy of celebration.
Not to mention that a wall of that size was not something he would casually summon.
Most of the time, then, the majority of his terrain manifestations hovered around the one-second mark or slightly below it.
That was more than enough to defend himself against threats of his rank.
It was not only this aspect of [Earth Domain] that had gradually improved. His seismic sense had genuinely become an essential part of his life.
It was even difficult to remember what it felt like to live with a limited perspective, having to look directly at things.
At first, it had been very strange, and Giovanni usually preferred to keep focusing on his more natural senses… but Beako had forced him to squeeze out every last drop of benefit his aspect could offer.
His ability to sense things at long distances became more polished and powerful, or rather, he learned how to handle it in a more disciplined way.
By closing his eyes, vibrations guided him to rooms on the upper floors, where side conversations occurred constantly, classes covered a wide range of subjects, and practical sessions took place.
It was truly frightening to realize how easy it was to spy on others for someone with an ability like that.
Considering the kind of comments whispered between laughter by some boys, it was easy to imagine someone being tempted to use such a talent for dirty purposes.
The range of his expanded seismic sense did not seem to have increased with practice.
Going far beyond two hundred meters was still a difficult task to accomplish, but it no longer felt exhausting. He could spend long minutes scanning the distance without becoming disoriented.
While experimenting with it, he decided to check on certain people, curious about what they were doing at the moment.
Sofia was in a dojo, practicing alone a memorized sequence of strikes, looking extremely focused on the task.
Giovanni was so used to seeing Beako's fists moving like blurs toward his face that it was shocking to see the difference compared to a normal punch.
It was slower than the bee that had tormented him throughout his entire first month.
'Not that I'm one to comment, mine must be even worse.'
His close-combat training had been entirely focused on developing his defensive abilities.
He had not thrown a single kick or punch in months, something that would have made his past self burst into laughter, seriously questioning what he was doing.
'Doing my best!'
Putting aside the silly thoughts, he moved on to the next person.
Aguiar was in the cafeteria, making the best possible use of his dramatic talents.
That lunatic had a sick addiction to being at the center of attention whenever he was in public, so this time he had decided to loudly announce that he was ready to steal Eric's position as the second strongest among the sleepers.
'Keep dreaming…'
That guy… speaking of the individual, it was quite rare for Giovanni to personally spot the armored youth. The two had very different schedules, so the best opportunities were breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekends.
But they had no reason to meet, and Giovanni could not have been more grateful for that.
Aguiar could be loud, but he was someone who could still be moved with words. That was how Giovanni had managed to deal with the many "duels" they had during the weeks.
Giovanni avoided him as much as possible, but when an encounter was unavoidable, he only needed to say something stupid with enough emotion to turn a battle to the death into a culinary competition.
'My years helping Margaret in the kitchen were worth something…'
On the other hand, if Eric knocked on his door asking for a duel, Giovanni would have to resort to the darkest escape techniques up his sleeves.
While scanning the complex, looking for the young man, he found his silhouette in a room filled with people who had either finished eating early or simply preferred to watch the show unfold.
Several legacies seemed to have gathered to compete in front of a machine that measured the strength of their punches.
Most of them achieved respectable numbers, at least according to the gossip circulating among the sleepers. Giovanni was incapable of seeing digital screens through vibrations.
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. All of them were strong in their own right, and according to what was being said in the groups, Aguiar had earlier managed to reach a score of seventeen!
But everything looked like child's play compared to the turn of the colossus himself. Standing before the machine, the very space seemed to begin vibrating around the young man's fist.
When he threw the punch, it was as if the machine pulled the attack toward itself, further accelerating that gauntlet as it was about to crush the meter.
The disbelieving remarks that followed shortly after revealed the final number. Among some of the spectators, voices murmured…
"He hit twenty-six, damn it! How many soul shards did this maniac absorb to get double my score?"
"I don't doubt his stories about tearing nightmare creatures apart with just his fists anymore…"
That was a true monster, and he was still training every day. What else did this megalomaniac want? To lift weights using the bodies of awakened creatures?
'Enough scanning…'
He opened his eyes, seeing the ceiling of his room once again. Lunch break would soon be over, and he had an entire afternoon of material to cram into his brain.
Lazily, he picked up his communicator and stared at the screen, thoughtful.
Recently, he had stopped acting like a country bumpkin and had finally gathered the shame needed to use the thing properly.
Besides using the network to research topics he was curious about, he had also discovered the universe of funny images.
His gallery was full of gifs of people falling; it was bordering on an addiction. Technology really was dangerous…
This time, his focus was on his contacts section.
He had not yet had the opportunity to visit his acquaintances, but next time he would remember to get their contacts. That way, he could confirm everything was going well without worrying needlessly.
He also probably should get the contact information of some people at the academy.
Margaret had once said that getting someone's number showed commercial, platonic, or romantic interest.
He was already suffering enough from rumors about his nonexistent love life, so he needed to be careful with his approach.
"It's going to be a long day…"
***
In the end, the mission was completed successfully.
He mainly managed to get the contact information of some of his teachers, Mr. Julius, Miss Beako, and Mrs. Severina, but a few classmates he had begun speaking with sporadically during lessons also offered their contacts.
Seeing the names lined up one beneath the other brought a warm feeling to his chest.
'Now I can talk to them from anywhere! This is the true power of humanity…'
While fiddling with the communicator, he noticed Aguiar, dressed in a sports hoodie and loose pants, staring at the academy gates, where several people were rushing inside after arriving late to the speech that had taken place in the hall below.
Entrance ceremonies were still being held, and more and more new people were filling the corridors of that complex. One was happening at that very moment, and from what he could hear, it was basically the same as his, with only a word or two changed.
To escape the noise, the best option was to hide in his room or stay outside in the cold.
Recently, snow had been falling more frequently, making the experience even more chilling. The view, however, was wonderful… snow, when it was not trying to kill you in the wilderness, was an attraction that never grew old.
Stripped of his theatrical flair, the young charmer calmly groomed himself with a mirror, seeming obsessed with his own appearance. It was just as strange to see him calm, like a normal human being.
"What a peculiar choice of place to get ready."
Without bothering to stop his task, Aguiar heard the comment and opened a discreet smile.
"Perhaps it is, my dear. But the reason is very simple, you see. Every star needs a dressing room tailored to their taste, and the… snowy sky is precisely what I need…"
With a gesture of his fingers, the snow around him melted and turned into a floating heart in the air. It seemed that water was water regardless of temperature, so it remained within Aguiar's domain.
The heart floated toward Giovanni, bursting midway into a puddle. Noticing that Aguiar did not seem to be preparing to do anything extravagant, Giovanni asked politely.
"No duels this time?"
The young man rolled his eyes as if he had heard a foolish question, but it did not seem displeased to explain; he loved the sound of his own voice.
"A duel without an audience? Never! The thrill lies precisely in the crowd, in everyone's eyes on you, waiting to have their expectations surpassed. A victory without witnesses is hollow."
Giovanni personally preferred exactly that, without an audience. If he were humiliated, at least no one would remember the incident. He did not voice his opinion out loud, obviously.
"You seem to have had a change of heart these past few days. Even I was intrigued by your accelerated pace over the last month! I even tried to keep up with you on this crusade, but the consequences for my skin… it was too great a sacrifice."
Remembering the recent experience made his smile falter, if only slightly.
"I just wanted to try something new, to see my limits in practice. I won't have opportunities like this when we go to the other world."
He lied as easily as breathing, already accustomed to the feeling. Aguiar finally shifted his focus away from his own face, looking directly at Giovanni.
"And what a frightening limit you possess… very well, then, what brings you to my private dressing room? Your golden glow would be better spent enchanting the freshmen below."
Giovanni raised an eyebrow at the foolish comment.
"I'll leave that job to you… Come to think of it, I didn't see you at our ceremony either."
Aguiar fell silent longer than usual, creating an uncomfortable moment.
"And why would I be there? The advice and lessons of those old men put me to sleep, hah!"
Sensing something strange about the subject, Giovanni chose not to pry again. He put the communicator away and let his arms rest behind his back.
"To answer your question, I came here to practice something new."
Aguiar's eyes lit up with interest, now eager to see the experiment firsthand.
"Then what are we waiting for? Show me! What new trick do you have up your sleeves…"
Before he realized it, Giovanni had one of the young man's arms around his neck in a half-embrace.
"I… don't think you'll like getting dirty. Are you sure?"
Aguiar hid his face in a sudden motion, seeming to blush at the comment.
"How depraved~, wanting to get me dirty, rival…"
The mask of calm Giovanni wore cracked for a moment, stunned by the remark. Noticing that he had managed to draw an expression other than the courteous smile, Aguiar burst into laughter, slapping the shorter boy's shoulder.
"There it is! I knew you were more than just this doll! You should have seen your face!"
Giovanni turned red from ear to ear and trotted toward one of the training fields, ignoring the young man following behind him while laughing annoyingly.
"…"
If he had felt any hesitation about testing his new technique before, now he was driven by a vengeful feeling! Seeing that they were already in the middle of the lawn, Aguiar placed one hand on his waist while rubbing the fingers of the other.
"I'm ready! Give it your best, Giovanni!"
In an instant, without warning, the ground at Aguiar's feet turned into mud and climbed up his legs at a terrifying speed.
As quickly as it formed, it immediately hardened into solid rock, essentially sealing the opponent in place.
[Transmutation] was the latest of Giovanni's abilities that he had refined without pause. The versatility it granted its users could not be underestimated, especially when used correctly.
Because Giovanni was incapable of injuring opponents, he needed to use more complex strategies to incapacitate enemies who wished to take his life. Instead of simply crushing a monster's legs, he needed to wrap and seal them with transmutation, without causing injuries.
He had also improved his aim to the point where he could consistently hit exactly where he intended. In this way, it was possible to raise rocks into the air and launch them at an opponent's face, transmuting them into clouds of dust to temporarily blind and disorient enemies.
Now confident enough to use it in practice against an opponent of his own level, the result was a complete success!
Aguiar tapped the layer of rock immobilizing his legs, feeling no pain thanks to the fact that the mud had perfectly molded itself to his body, creating a flawless cast.
"Impressive! But I must admit… your new trick is rather gentle, Giovanni. Or perhaps your affection for me prevents you from hurting me? Hah!"
Giovanni felt his face twitch slightly… he wanted to hurt that man so badly!
"I intend to work for the government in the future. I'll arrest more people than I kill. Preferably, I want them intact."
A half-truth, but at least he could be honest in that regard.
"An agent of the law… a moral bastion, it suits your reputation, but if I may say so, it is a path that offers little… GLORY!"
Straining with all his strength, the rock covering him cracked and then exploded, freeing his legs once more.
"I know. But that is a trade-off I am willing to make."
Aguiar stepped closer, studying him, seeming to judge the sincerity of his rival's answers. Giovanni met his gaze, finally having made up his mind. Pulling the communicator from his backpack, he offered it toward the other young man.
"What's your contact? So we can talk, if necessary."
"Giovanni, Giovanni, you naughty dog… are you already trying to take me out to dinner?"
"Shut up!"
Aguiar merely amused himself with the brunette's innocent reactions, typing in his number and adding it to the boy's contact list.
"There you go, make good use of it."
Their time together seemed to have come to an end, with Aguiar heading toward the entrance of the underground complex. However, before leaving for good, he asked Giovanni in a contemplative tone.
"And why are you willing to make this trade?"
Giovanni looked up at the sky, remembering the flickering light of a candle in the darkness and countless voices that now sounded like ghosts; his voice grew quiet, almost fading away.
"Because I believe kindness can change the world."