Following a concealed passage from the mechanical fight pit, Milo led Lila and a few excited buddies through several winding alleys until they reached an unassuming small door. He knocked a few times with practiced ease, and the door swung open, spilling out a soft, warm light.

  “Come on in!” Milo turned back with a grin, beckoning Lila. “This is our secret base.”

  Lila followed them inside with curiosity, and a cozy, rounded little room came into view. The space wasn’t large, but it was arranged with surprising comfort: pale yellow bulbs hung haphazardly from the ceiling, casting a warm glow; the floor was covered with soft, fluffy green artificial turf; and colorful cushions and sofas were scattered about. In the middle stood a round table piled with all sorts of mechanical parts, hand-drawn blueprints, and small tools. Off to the side was a little blackboard, crammed with dense diagrams and notes on mechanical principles. Lila recognized at a glance that they tied directly to the mechanical spider’s design from the earlier match.

  The kids gathered eagerly around the table, chattering nonstop about the match’s details, their excitement bubbling over. A middle-aged woman with a left arm entirely replaced by a complex mechanical prosthetic sat among them, listening with a gentle smile.

  “Hey, Maya!” Milo rushed in, buzzing with energy, pulling Lila along to introduce her to the group. “This is Lila, a new friend I just met. She’s awesome—she even helped me win a match just now!”

  Maya looked up, giving Lila a warm, sharp-eyed once-over. “Welcome, Lila. It’s rare for anyone to impress Milo this much.”

  Lila shrugged, flashing a slight smile. “Just luck. The real talent’s with these little guys.”

  The kids swarmed over, peppering her with questions in a noisy chorus: “Are you really a hacker? They say you taught yourself?”

  Lila plopped down onto a soft cushion, her tone carrying its usual laid-back edge. “Yep, I picked up tech in a junkyard on another planet.” She smirked, her expression growing more dismissive. “Never had any of that proper Federation Company education, but I’m doing fine! Especially now that I’ve joined the Reborn Company—I’ve realized the Federation’s full of clueless trash!”

  The kids erupted in cheers, nodding in fierce agreement. Milo chimed in loudly, “Exactly! All that stuff in the Federation Technical Certification Exam is useless. Compared to that, the stuff we’ve got here is the real deal!”

  “You bet!” the red-braided girl said with a laugh. “I’d rather mess with mechanical spiders than touch those garbage exam textbooks!”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Maya tapped the table lightly with her mechanical arm, signaling them to settle down, and smiled gently. “You all did great in the match today. But don’t forget—the most important thing isn’t winning; it’s learning something new each time, got it?”

  The kids nodded, and Milo grinned cheekily. “Don’t worry, Maya, we’re not idiots!”

  Maya chuckled helplessly, then turned to Lila, her tone tinged with a hint of reflection. “You’ve probably noticed—Milo’s got real talent. He’s way better at mechanics than he’d ever be at exams. I’ve always thought every kid’s got their own strengths, and forcing them down a path that doesn’t fit just isn’t right.” She sighed softly, adding, “Old Mr. Otis is so dead-set on Milo taking the Federation Technical Certification—I don’t know why he’s so hung up on it, but it’s really strained things between them.”

  Lila nodded. “You’re right. Real talent shouldn’t get crushed by rigid exams.”

  It finally hit Lila—her mission. She said with a wry smile, “Actually, I came to the underground today because Otis sent me. He’s desperate to find Milo since the kid trashed the clinic’s equipment, and now he needs his help bad.”

  Milo’s head dropped, his face clouding with unease. “He’s definitely gonna force me to study that random junk again.”

  Maya reached out with her mechanical arm, gently ruffling Milo’s hair, her voice kind. “Your grandpa doesn’t mean to make things hard for you. He’s just too old-fashioned, too stubborn—thinks acing the Federation Technical Certification is the only way to make it.” She glanced at Lila with a touch of hope. “Maybe you could try talking to Otis, help him see that everyone’s got their own path, and Milo’s gifts aren’t in those boring test questions.”

  Lila thought it over, nodding slightly. “I think you’re onto something. Otis isn’t unreasonable—if you talk to him straight, it might work.”

  Even as she said it, Lila felt a twinge of worry. Ethan was open-minded, Rebecca was sensible, but Tara—that hotheaded, mission-obsessed firecracker—would be tough to sway. She just hoped that explosive woman wouldn’t drag Milo back and force him into exams herself.

  “Anyway, I’ll give it a shot,” Lila decided at last.

  The mood in the little room lightened up, turning warm and cheerful. Maya smiled again, bringing out some homemade snacks to share, and the kids laughed and horsed around, filling the space with a cozy, relaxed vibe.

  After leaving the tiny secret base, Milo led Lila on a leisurely stroll through the underground market. The bustling crowds, vendors’ shouts, and waves of laughter blended together, giving Lila a sense of ease and comfort she’d never felt before.

  Looking at the lively, warm scene, she couldn’t help but sigh to herself, “This is real life.”

  Growing up in the junkyard, she’d never known this kind of freedom, ease, and warmth. A fleeting, almost illusory happiness welled up in her chest, letting her briefly forget the outside world’s tasks and pressures.

  Lost in those thoughts, Lila felt Milo tug lightly at her sleeve.

  “Come on,” Milo broke her reverie, his eyes carrying a mix of complexity and seriousness. “I’ve got one last place to show you. This is what I really wanted you to see.”

  Sensing an unspoken gravity in his look, Lila quickened her pace to follow him, heading deeper into the underground’s more secretive corners.