First friend

For a few moments after waking up, I was confused with my situation.

Right, I have transmigrated to this modern fantasy world. It will take some time until I come to terms with these unbelievable circumstances. Anyways, I had to figure out how things worked in this society. I went out of my apartment. Looking on my phone, I saw my bank account and transaction history. It showed that I had 10000 units, units being the currency used by everyone, I assume. I didn't know if that was much or little. I was a bit suspicious about the number, as this money were most likely deposited from somewhere, by an unknown person. I also saw my id, and turns out my birthday was on september 23. Right now, it was march, and the next admission test was in january 1st. So I had a lot of time to prepare. I didn't know why the calendar and time frame from my old world were used, but it didn't bother me. In fact, it made my life easier, as i didn't have to adapt to a new time measuring system.

As I went out of my house, I was taken aback by the view that was in front of my eyes: there were enormous buildings, even compared to the skyscrapers from my previous life, everywhere. The buildings looked stunning, most of them covered with glass. The mode of transportation, from what I could see, was represented exclusively by something similar to flying trains. I didn't see a single car. This scenery looked like it was taken from a sci-fi movie, one set in the distant future. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I looked around for a while, and took out my phone to search for something akin to a training center. Naturally, I found one not far from the place where I was located.

I really wanted to use those trains, and the opportunity was right in front of me. To get to the station, I walked to an elevator. I was very surprised by its speed, as it traveled 150 meters, from my estimates, in less than ten seconds. The station had a simple yet modern look. The only things present were some white seats attached to the station's glass walls and an information panel which showed all the lines and destinations. Luckily, the train I was supposed to take was going through my current location, so I patiently waited for it, thinking about my power, synchronisation. I tried using it on random people, but it wouldn't activate, so I assumed that it only worked on awakened people. That, or there were additional conditions that I haven't considered yet, possibly because they were hidden. Either way, I had to figure it out fast, as this was my surefire way to get strong, fast.

Entering the train, I was met with a design not entirely different from what I encountered in my previous life. There were four columns of chairs, 2 chairs on each side, separated by a corridor in the middle. The chairs were white, like the rest of the vehicle, and were similar to the ones in a cinema. The ride was smooth, and I reached my destination without much hassle.

I entered the building, and went to a receptionist.

"Hey there, young man! Is this your first time here?"

While he was saying that, I used synchronisation on him, yet again to no avail. Just then I remembered that I could only take known attributes. Maybe that's why it didn't activate, as I didn't detect anything.

"Hi, you're right, I haven't come here before. As a matter of fact, I haven't been to any training center before. So I would be grateful if you would show me around."

"Sure thing! Follow me."

After that, he guided me in many different rooms. The center had a gym, training dummies, instinct training exercises and much more stuff. At the end of the tour, the man asked me.

"So, what do you think? If you want acces to the training facilities, you can make an one time-payment for today, or get a membership card."

"I would like to make a membership here."

"Excellent choice! The monthly membership is 500 units and it is billed at the beginning of every month dirrectly from your bank account. Completely hassle-free!. Just give me your ID and bank account and you can start today!"

After following his instructions, I went to the training dummies. Given the nature of my ability, the best thing I could do now is not train, but find a strong person and befriend them, so I can get powerful abilities from them. And the training ground is the best place for that. I look around, trying to gauge the strength of the people in this giant hall. There were considerably more kids, probably because when becoming adults there is a shift of priorities and mindset, and becoming more powerful isn't in their to-do list anymore.

A white-haired kid stood out, as his speed was incredible, and I could barely follow his moves. Considering that we look about the same age, the power gap shouldn't be that big, so i had no choice but be mesmerized by his dexterity. He seemed concentrated, and I didn't want to bother him, as this would lower the likelihood of making a good first impression and would therefore ruin my chances of befriending him. I took a mental note to approach him when he has finished training, or when he was taking a break.

After that, I went to the gym and trained my physical strength, as it was the only thing left for me to do, though I was regularly checking my targe-I mean future friend. And soon enough, I saw him preparing to leave. Of course, I did the same. And coincidentally, we met face to face at the entrance. He had a sad glint in his eyes, and something compelled me to approach him, something irrational this time. I felt empathy him, for no reason at all. It was a really strange feeling, to be honest.

Ignoring this, I striked up a conversation while looking at him, as not to create any confusion about who I'm addressing to.

"Hey, I saw a bit of your training today. Your speed was very impressive. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name? I'm William, by the way, nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too! My name is Oliver. Thanks for the compliment. I am still lacking, though, as I am preparing to enter the Vanguard academy. And to do that, I have to get stronger, or I won't pass the admission test"

"Really? What a coincidence! I will participate in the admission test, too! I'm guessing you're 15, right?"

"That's right, I am aiming for the one in january. Hey, are you coming here tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, that's what I was about to ask you, too! If you want, we can train together until january. What do you say?"

"Absolutely, here's my contact information."

"Thanks. Hey, I enjoyed our conversation, but I have to leave now. Let's talk later, if you want. See you tomorrow!"

"Right, take care!"