"Rylan, you can't be serious!" Jaxon protested, grabbing his arm. "It's too dangerous! Even if you wanted to join the academy, you should know that having a Nexus Core is a must," Jaxon added, knowing full well that since the establishment of the academy, no commoner had ever awakened one due to their low mana quantity.
Rylan sighed. "Jaxon, I know that. But how would I know if I don't try? There's no use trying to convince me. I've made up my mind already." He turned and walked away.
Deep into the night, Rylan kept pondering what Jaxon had said. **Nexus Core?** A highly secure, centralized repository that houses the Nexus Code. The Nexus Code is a unique, genetically-encoded sequence that determines an individual's affinity, influencing their innate abilities and capabilities. Even if I don't have the Nexus Core, I won't give up!
The next day, Rylan set off to Aether Academy, located in the capital city of Eldorian, far east of Veldrin.
After a whole week of travel, Rylan finally arrived at the Eldorian capital city. Looking at the huge gates of the city—one kilometer in height—and the walls so tall that he could only see vague figures from the top, he couldn't help but be amazed. "So, this is the capital city of Eldorian!"
"*Whispers* Tsk, another country bumpkin. I wonder why the king allows just anyone to enter the city. They are just tainting this holy land," one voice sneered. "Just let him be. I'm sure he's another country fool that thinks he can join the academy," another voice chimed in, and the crowd laughed.
Ignoring the remarks, Rylan continued walking forward, entering the city gate.
"Hey, boy! Don't enter like that. Where's your entrance fee?" a guard called out.
Rylan, confused, asked, "Entrance fee? How much is it?"
The guard scoffed, looking at Rylan's puzzled expression. "One silver. If you can't afford it, you better roll off here; I don't have time to waste on insects like you."
Though anger simmered within him, Rylan knew this was how commoners were treated everywhere. It was as if they didn't consider them human, but animals instead. He dipped his hand into his pocket and handed out his last ten coppers to the guard. *(Ten coppers equal one silver, and ten silvers equal one gold.)*
After receiving the fee, the guard scoffed again and handed Rylan a token. "That is only an accommodating token. After three days, it will expire. Make sure you renew it before then, or you will be arrested."
Without replying to the guard, Rylan collected the token and walked into the city.