Arin opened the terminal again not long after.
He had already chosen the academy path. What remained now was to find where he could actually begin.
He searched through the city education network and started checking the academy records one by one.
The structure became clear quickly.
Every city had one main academy that stood above the others. It had better teachers, stronger methods, and deeper support from the upper system. In Astra Vale City, that place was Astra Vale Academy.
Below it were smaller academies and preparatory institutes. Their standards were lower, their resources fewer, and their future paths narrower, but they still gave people a way in.
Arin opened Astra Vale Academy first.
He read through the public admission conditions carefully.
The regular intake had already passed.
The next major examination cycle would only open after three months. There was another selection in eight days, but that one was limited to pre-registered candidates and those already inside the connected academy system.
Arin read it again just to be sure.
Nothing changed.
He could not enter through that route now.
He leaned back slightly.
Three months was too long.
He had only just stabilized his semi-core. He had no teacher, no proper cultivation method, and no structured place to begin. Waiting three months with nothing in hand would only waste time.
He moved on and began checking the minor academies and preparatory institutes one by one.
Some were little more than study centers with weak physical training attached to them. Some had cultivation branches, but their records were poor. A few at least maintained proper academy structures and limited links to the city's main system.
One name appeared close to his district.
Sector Seven Preparatory Academy.
Arin opened its file.
It was nowhere near Astra Vale Academy in quality. The teachers were weaker, the results were lower, and its support was limited. But unlike the main academy, it still had active admissions. Late applicants could still register as long as they met the basic requirements.
Arin continued reading.
Identity verification.
Medical records.
Core condition proof.
Basic education record.
Entry fees.
Nothing there was impossible for him.
He checked a few more records for location, cost, and transfer possibilities, but in the end his eyes returned to the same file.
Sector Seven Preparatory Academy.
Registration would begin tomorrow morning.
Arin looked at the line quietly.
Tomorrow.
That was enough.
He did not need the best opening.
He only needed a real one.
He stood and began preparing what was required.
Identity confirmation.
Medical documents from the treatment center.
The stabilization report.
The public education files still attached to this body's name.
He reviewed each one carefully and sorted them into order.
By the time he finished, the night had already deepened.
Before turning off the terminal, Arin opened Astra Vale Academy's file one last time.
Three months for the regular intake.
Eight days for the restricted selection.
He memorized both.
Even if he entered Sector Seven Preparatory Academy first, Astra Vale Academy remained the true goal inside this city.
That would not change.
He rested early that night.
The soreness from stabilization had not fully faded, and tomorrow would be his first real step into the academy system. There was no reason to waste energy.
When morning came, he got up early, washed, changed into clean clothes, and prepared a simple meal from what remained at home.
After eating, he checked his terminal one last time.
Nothing was missing.
Then he left the apartment and called a cab.
The ride to Sector Seven Preparatory Academy did not take long. As the vehicle moved through the city, Arin looked outside quietly. He did not know what kind of place awaited him there, but at least he had finally stepped out of standing still.
When the cab stopped, he paid, stepped out, and raised his head.
The academy gates stood ahead.
A few other youths were already there, some alone, some with family beside them. Near the entrance, a staff member was checking registration details while new applicants waited for the entrance screening to begin.
Arin walked forward and joined the line in silence.
Registration was quicker than he expected.
He gave his identity number at the counter. The academy staff checked his details through the city network. His medical clearance and core stabilization record were already there, so they only had to confirm that everything matched.
After a short check, the staff member gave a nod.
"Registration accepted. Go to Hall Three. The entrance exam will begin in two hours."
Arin took the temporary tag and walked away.
He followed the signs and entered the waiting hall.
It was already getting crowded. Rows of seats were arranged across the wide room. Some applicants sat alone. Others had already formed small groups and were talking quietly.
Arin found an empty seat near the side and sat down.
Even if this was only a preparatory academy, the entrance test would not be easy. Those who passed would enter. Those who failed would go back.
His body was far better than before, but that did not remove all concern. If the first test was heavily physical, things could still become troublesome. He had only just recovered.
So he stayed quiet and listened to the voices around him.
Most people were discussing the same thing.
What would today's exam be?
A boy nearby said, "I heard they might do a body test first."
Another replied at once, "No way. Half the people here would die."
A little farther away, someone claimed his cousin knew about the exam.
The boy sitting to Arin's right snorted.
"Then this hall is full of cousins."
Arin glanced around. "Very knowledgeable cousins."
A girl's voice came from the side.
"Then I should've brought one too."
Arin and the boy both turned.
A girl stood beside the empty seat next to them. She looked around eleven. Her hair was dark, almost blue-black under the hall lights, tied neatly behind her head. Her face was calm, and her eyes were sharp.
The boy looked up at her. "You've got one?"
"No," she said. "That's the problem."
For the first time since sitting down, some of the pressure in Arin's chest eased.
The girl looked at the seat. "Can I sit here?"
Arin nodded. "No one's there."
She sat down.
"Liora Venn," she said.
"Ren Talvik."
"Arin Solis."
Liora nodded once. "I asked a few groups before coming here. No one really knows what the exam is."
"That matches what I found," Ren said.
"You asked too?" Arin asked.
Ren looked at him. "Of course. I may look relaxed, but I'm not stupid."
Liora glanced at him. "You should be careful saying that so confidently."
Ren stared at her for a second. "You're very sharp for someone I met ten seconds ago."
"I'm trying to survive the morning."
Ren let out a breath. "Fair enough."
For a short while, the three of them sat quietly.
Around them, the hall kept growing louder as more applicants came in. Some looked nervous. Some tried to act confident. Some spoke too much, as if making noise would help.
A girl a few seats ahead said, "My older brother said they tested cultivation theory last year."
A boy near the wall replied, "My brother said they used virtual combat."
Ren leaned back slightly. "See? Brothers now. Soon uncles will start speaking too."
Arin said, "Maybe the whole city came to help."
Liora added, "Except the people actually giving the exam."
Ren looked between them and shook his head. "Great. Now both of you are doing it."
That made the mood around them a little lighter.
After a while, Ren looked at Arin and asked, "What are you hoping it won't be?"
Arin already knew what he meant.
"Running," he said.
Ren pointed at him at once. "I knew it."
Arin looked at him. "You said the same thing earlier."
"Yes," Ren said, "but hearing you say it makes me feel less weak."
Liora looked at Ren. "You still look weak."
Ren put a hand to his chest. "That was rude."
"It was honest."
Ren turned to Arin. "Does she treat everyone like this?"
"I don't know," Arin said. "I just met her too."
Liora gave a small nod. "Good answer."
Ren looked up at the ceiling. "I'm already trapped between two difficult people."
Arin almost smiled.
The pressure in his chest was still there, but Ren's way of talking made the waiting easier.
After a moment, Liora spoke again.
"I don't think the first test will be random."
Ren looked at her. "Then what?"
"Something fast," she said. "Something that shows results clearly. The academy won't want to waste too much time."
"A broad screening?" Arin asked.
"Maybe. Or a team test."
Ren frowned. "Team test sounds bad."
"Why?" Liora asked.
"Because then my result depends on other people."
"That happens everywhere."
"I still don't like it."
Liora looked ahead. "That sounds like your problem."
Ren gave her a tired look. "You really enjoy saying that."
"Only when it fits."
Arin listened quietly.
She might not be wrong. A team exam could be worse than a physical one. In a physical test, he would only need to worry about himself. In a group test, strangers could pull him down too.
Still, he did not say that aloud.
Instead, he asked, "Why are you both here?"
Ren answered first.
"To get in, obviously."
Liora turned and looked at him.
Ren raised a hand. "I know. That answer was bad."
"It was terrible," Liora said.
Ren sighed. "I need a real path. Staying outside won't get me anywhere."
Arin understood that.
Then Liora said, "My family wanted me to choose a safer school."
Ren blinked. "Then why are you here?"
"Because safer is usually slower."
That answer stayed with Arin for a moment.
In this world, slower often meant falling behind. And falling behind often meant staying down forever.
Ren rubbed his face lightly. "Why does everyone suddenly sound serious?"
"Because this matters," Liora said.
Ren looked at Arin. "See? This is why I keep joking. Otherwise this place feels too heavy."
Arin gave a small nod. "It helps."
Ren looked at him for a second, then smiled. "Good. At least one person appreciates me."
Liora said, "Don't get too proud."
"I liked you better when you were a stranger."
"That lasted less than a minute."
This time Arin did smile a little.
The hall slowly changed after that.
More people sat properly. Fewer were laughing. Even the louder groups had lowered their voices.
The closer the time came, the more serious the room felt.
Then a clear tone sounded through the hall.
Voices stopped one by one until the whole place became quiet.
A man in academy uniform stepped onto the raised platform at the front. He did not look old, but he stood straight, and the moment he looked across the hall, the room became even quieter.
A thin device rested in one hand.
"My name is Dain Corvel," he said. "I am one of the supervisors for today's admission process."
No one spoke.
Dain looked across the hall and continued.
"A total of eighty-two applicants completed registration for today's examination. You will be divided into seventeen teams. Fourteen teams will have five members each. The remaining three teams will have four."
A small stir passed through the hall.
Ren sat straighter.
Liora's eyes stayed on the front.
Dain lifted the device in his hand, and a large display opened in the air behind him.
"Today's first entrance examination will be a group trial."
Whispers spread through the hall at once.
Arin's eyes narrowed slightly.
So Liora's guess had been right.
A group test.
He did not know yet if that was better or worse than a physical test, but one thing was already clear.