Nova leans forward, her luminescent patterns shifting to something I've never seen before, intense blues and purples that suggest excitement or urgency. She glances at the door, then back to me.

  "What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room," she says, her voice dropping lower. "I'm not supposed to tell you this until tomorrow's official announcement, but given our... history, I figured you deserved an early heads-up."

  I take another bite of the real food, actual seasoned meat that makes me want to weep after weeks of gray paste, and wait for her to continue.

  "First, you should know that they're bringing in way more new potentials than ever before," she says, her patterns pulsing rapidly. "Like, three times the normal intake rate. Something big is happening outside this facility, they're accelerating the whole program."

  Ok, Volt already told me about this but it's good to have confirmation at least. It's certainly concerning but not immediately relevant to my situation.

  I nod for her to continue.

  "But here's the real bombshell," Nova says, leaning even closer, her luminescent patterns now so bright they reflect off the polished table between us. "They're changing the arena rules. Major changes."

  Now she has my full attention. I set down my fork.

  "Ten consecutive solo wins in the arena means freedom," she says, watching my reaction carefully. "Out of this facility, back to Earth."

  "Bullshit," I respond automatically. Nothing in this place comes without strings.

  "It's true," she insists, her patterns flaring. "And there's more. They're introducing team matches, four assets per team. If your team gets ten consecutive wins, freedom for all of you."

  My mind races with implications. Freedom after ten wins sounds too good to be true, but even if there's a catch, this changes everything about the arena system. We're no longer just fighting for the entertainment of the aliens or classification advancement, it becomes an actual escape avenue.

  "Why the sudden generosity?" I ask, skepticism heavy in my voice.

  Nova's patterns shift to something more subdued. "Not generosity. Motivation. They need better performances, more dramatic fights. The aliens are bored with the current system, need higher stakes to keep betting interest strong."

  "There's something else you should know," she continues, her voice even quieter now. "Any asset currently on a win streak is exempt from faction or Integration interference. Neither sponsors nor anyone else can mess with your powers or classification while you're winning. Protection from being fucked with, basically."

  That protection alone would be valuable, constant independence without faction politics or Integration threat as long as the wins keep coming.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Seems awfully convenient." I mutter.

  "It shows that they're serious," Nova replies. "Everyone knows of some hotshot that got to a seven or eight win streak and suddenly got 'volunteered' for the integration program. Without this protection no one would take promise of freedom seriously."

  That does make a lot of sense. The aliens want to see our true abilities, that's why they're dangling freedom in front of us. But if they could still draft you for Integration even when you're on a eight win streak, who is going to actually go all out and show off their hidden powers?

  "This all gets announced officially tomorrow morning," Nova finishes. "Think hard about what this all means for you. Especially with your impressive first performance."

  I sit back, processing these bombshells while finishing my meal. If true, this changes the entire strategic landscape. Ten wins for freedom creates direct escape path outside both faction politics and Integration pathways. Team approach allows potential ally coordination rather than solo navigation. Protection during win streaks provides immediate security benefit even before achieving full freedom.

  "Why tell me specifically?" I ask, still suspicious of convenient timing and her motivations.

  Nova's patterns form what I've come to recognize as her version of a smile. "Your physical capabilities were impressive today. I’m building a team for these new matches, if you’re interested. Luminescent manipulation complements telekinesis well in combat scenarios."

  So there it is, she wants me on her team if I decide to pursue the team match approach. Self-interest rather than pure generosity, but potentially mutually beneficial if the rule changes are legitimate.

  "I'll consider all options once the official announcement confirms details," I say noncommittally. No point making decisions based on information that might be incomplete or deliberately misleading, regardless of Nova's apparent sincerity.

  She nods, apparently expecting this response. "Fair enough. But remember, teams will form quickly once this goes public. The best teams won’t have open spots for long."

  As Nova prepares to leave, having delivered both food and information, I'm already analyzing strategic implications. If freedom requires ten consecutive wins, each match becomes exponentially more important, and dangerous. Opponents would become increasingly desperate to keep their win streaks approaching the threshold. Team dynamics would add further complexity to both combat strategy and interpersonal trust requirements.

  Most immediately relevant: my current one win potentially starts the countdown to freedom, making my next arena appearance more significant than just combat assessment or resource acquisition. Everything changes if victory directly connects to escape rather than just better conditions within the system.

  "Thanks for the heads-up," I tell Nova as she reaches the door. "Regardless of what I decide about teams, the information is valuable."

  Her luminescent patterns pulse once more before she leaves. "See you in the arena, Gary. One way or another."

  After she's gone, I settle back into the comfortable seating, the luxury of victory accommodations suddenly less significant compared to the potential freedom dangling ten wins away. If Nova's information proves accurate, tomorrow's announcement will transform the entire facility dynamics, creating direct competition for limited team positions and immediate strategic realignment among independents with combat capabilities.

  I need to talk to Desta about this as soon as possible. Her analytical assessment of these new rules would be invaluable, not just for combat strategy but also whether these changes are actually legitimate or not. We can use the psychological support framework as cover for our conversation.

  For now, I enjoy the rest of my victory meal with renewed purpose. Ten wins huh? It feels both impossibly distant and tantalizingly achievable.