A few days after the gathering, Arin met Ren again.
This time, it was just the two of them walking along a quieter stretch of the district. The streets were less crowded here, the noise of the city fading into the background as their conversation gradually turned toward what mattered.
Ren glanced at him once before speaking.
"You've decided, right?"
Arin nodded. "Main academy."
Ren let out a short breath, his expression shifting slightly.
"That's going to be difficult."
Arin remained silent, waiting.
Ren continued, his tone steady but more serious than before.
"The entrance exam isn't just for people starting out. Most of the candidates come from preparatory academies. They've already been training for months, some even longer. By the time they take the test, many of them have already entered the Body Stage."
He slowed slightly as he spoke, as if making sure Arin understood.
"Early stage, but still ahead."
Arin listened without interrupting.
"Every year, there are thousands of applicants," Ren went on. "Most of them already have a foundation. Out of all of them, only the top hundred get selected."
He gave a small pause before adding,
"And that's after the early filtering."
The gap was clear.
Ren continued walking for a moment before speaking again.
"Even Leron didn't go directly."
Arin turned his head slightly.
"He joined a preparatory academy first," Ren said. "Three months of training. He reached the first level of the Body Stage before taking the exam."
There was a brief pause.
"He still only ranked eighty-nine."
This time, Arin's expression changed.
A faint surprise surfaced in his eyes.
Leron had always been ahead of them—better background, better results, better foundation. If even he had needed preparation and still barely secured a place within the top hundred, then the difficulty was far greater than he had expected.
Ren noticed and gave a small shrug.
"Yeah. That's the level."
The silence between them lasted only a moment.
Then Arin spoke.
"You mentioned another path before."
Ren's steps slowed slightly.
"For faster progress," Arin added.
For a moment, Ren didn't respond. His casual expression faded just a little, replaced by something more cautious.
He glanced around briefly before speaking again, lowering his voice.
"That's not something people talk about openly."
Arin waited.
Ren exhaled lightly.
"I only know because I overheard it," he said. "My grandfather was on a call. He didn't notice I was nearby."
That explained enough.
"There are places outside the system," Ren continued. They deal with shady things that don't pass through normal channels."
Arin understood immediately.
"Black markets."
Ren nodded.
"They don't stay in one place," he said. "Temporary setups. Hidden locations. They open for a short time and disappear."
He paused briefly.
"There's one opening nearby."
Arin's gaze sharpened.
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
That was sooner than expected.
The air between them grew quieter.
Arin's thoughts moved quickly.
If those places truly existed, then they might hold things the system wouldn't normally provide—materials, tools, or opportunities that could shorten the gap between him and those already ahead.
It was dangerous.
But so was doing nothing.
"We should go," Arin said.
Ren let out a short breath, half amused.
"I figured you'd say that."
He rubbed the back of his neck before continuing.
"I wasn't planning to get involved. Not really my kind of place."
Then he glanced at Arin again.
"But if you're going…"
A faint grin appeared.
"…we can call it a trip."
Arin didn't react to the tone, but he didn't refuse either.
"Fine."
The decision settled.
"If we're going," Ren added, "we should at least prepare. It's not exactly safe."
Arin nodded.
"Nothing heavy," Ren continued. "Just basic protection. Enough to not get caught off guard."
After they parted, Arin returned to his apartment.
He didn't waste time.
Preparation was simple.
He searched through local stores and ordered what he could without drawing attention. A reinforced inner vest, light protective layers, and gloves designed to reduce impact. Nothing that stood out, but enough to matter if things went wrong.
He tested the fit once.
Adjusted it.
It would do.
When he finished, he sat down and looked at the terminal for a moment.
The academy path remained the same.
Difficult
there was another way to prepare.
Arin leaned back slightly.
His decision had already been made.
Tomorrow.
He would step into a place outside the system.
And see what waited there.