Later, Ren grabbed his backpack, left his apartment, and started walking to school. He could have taken a bus, a taxi, or whatever type of transportation existed on the island, but he decided to walk instead. It wasn't really far, and since he didn't take the opportunity to look around the place last night, he decided to do it now.
He followed the directions on his phone and took in the surroundings. He saw all kinds of shops and places. Restaurants he recognized, and others he had never seen before because they didn't exist in Canada. Parks, highly advanced buildings, and the city's skyline filled his view. Everything felt alive. He also noticed students walking in different directions, probably doing the same thing as him—checking out the place.
He even spotted some beautiful girls. For a brief second, he thought maybe he could even find a girlfriend here. The thought made him blush a little, but he quickly shook his head and kept walking. Who knew what would happen?
As he continued, he noticed a group of students wearing different types of uniforms. One of them wasn't wearing a uniform at all, which meant he was probably from a normal school like Ren. That student seemed to be the center of attention, while the others were smiling around him. Ren didn't know what was going on, but he didn't really care. He didn't know those people, and for all he knew, it wasn't anything serious. Why get involved?
So he kept walking.
Eventually, he arrived at his school.
It was incredibly fancy, like everything else on the island. Futuristic, clean, and impressive. At the top of the building, large letters were written: B1. That was the school's name. All normal schools on the island had names like this—codes instead of actual names. Only the advanced schools had real names, but that didn't really matter.
The only real difference between normal schools and advanced schools wasn't education. Both were incredible when it came to teaching their students. The difference was quality of life. Advanced schools offered far better conditions. They didn't give students apartments—they gave them suites. Some were even located in the skyline. Students there could go almost anywhere and rarely had to pay for anything.
To get into an advanced school, you either had to be an exceptional student—even by Star Island's standards—or have a lot of money. Either way, everyone wanted to attend an advanced school.
Ren just kept walking and entered his school. He used his ID to pass by, showing it to the guard, and once he officially stepped inside, he caught a glimpse of the interior—and it was incredible.
It was extremely futuristic, far beyond what he considered normal standards. There were hologram TVs, sleek lockers that opened using student IDs, and hallways so clean it was almost unsettling. What the hell—there wasn't even a trace of mud from shoes that had come in from outside.
Before he could take in anything else, someone approached him from behind. When he turned around, he saw a girl who looked a little older than him. The moment she saw his face, she blushed. It was an average reaction when people interacted with Ren. He was very handsome—very few people could compete with him, if any at all—and he was extremely tall. The only downside was that he wasn't muscular, and he didn't bother much with fashion. He was just wearing a random T-shirt and a jacket he'd found in his closet.
Ren smiled politely. "Excuse me, may I help you?"
She quickly regained her composure. "S-sorry. Are you a new student? Because if you are, I'm assigned to give any new students I find today a tour of the school."
"So that's what it is," Ren said. "Yeah, let's go."
Ren complied, and they started the tour together.
He was shown all the important facilities—the nurse's office, where all medical emergencies were handled. Apparently, it was like the ones in anime and movies, where a school nurse's office could handle anything… even brain surgery. Yes, this nurse's office—and every single one on the island—was on that level.
He also saw the controlled areas where students with powers could practice controlling their abilities, and where classes focused on power control were usually held. Those classes weren't part of the Hero Course. There was a reason for that, but for now, it didn't matter.
After seeing all the facilities, they reached the end of the tour.
"And that's everything," she said. "I guess your class will start soon."
"That's right. Thank you for the tour," Ren said.
Just as he was about to turn away, she stopped him.
"Wait. I almost forgot to mention this. Do you want to enter the Hero Course?"
The Hero Course was an optional program. Students would still take many of the same classes, but some would be replaced with ones that focused on strengthening powers and learning how to become a hero. Graduating from the course meant being officially recognized by the government as a hero, legally allowed to work and even form a hero agency. Still, taking the course didn't mean you had to become one.
It was simply a path—one of the paths—you could take.
Even as she was speaking, Ren found himself conflicted. He didn't really like system heroes. It wasn't hatred—just the idea of being paid to save lives felt unheroic to him. Still, some of them worked incredibly hard and were worthy of being called heroes.
What he preferred was vigi—
"Excuse me?" the girl said, interrupting his train of thought. "You've been quiet."
"Oh—sorry," Ren said. "I sometimes overthink and get lost in my thoughts. About the Hero Course… I don't know if I want to enter it."
She smiled. "That's okay. If you ever change your mind, you can enter it at any point in the early half of the year. You have plenty of time to decide."
With that, she walked away, and Ren headed toward his classroom.