The road to Primus was still a long ways off. With his current pace Ash estimated it could take him upwards of a week to arrive.
Still, now that he had food with him Ash wasn't complaining much especially because he still had things to do.
Namely it was getting control over his Aura. He can't live in the city while leaking his deadly Aura.
As such Ash had gotten himself into somewhat of a routine.
He would walk, eat and drink when needed and once the sun set he would sleep. While doing all this he tried his hardest to get his Aura under control.
By the time the walls of Primus became visible in the distance, his skills have improved.
Of course he never had the chance to test it as sleeping without the Aura would have been suicide, but he felt like he could now control it well enough to sleep in the city.
As he got closer and closer to the city the walls surrounding it became larger and larger, they seemed to be the height of small mountains rather than normal walls.
Before long he was standing before a giant metal gate, much like the one he'd seen in Fiamma.
By its side were a set of cameras that looked at the entrance.
After standing before the gate for good twenty minutes the gates slowly opened.
Ash walked in, the inside looking the same as it did in Fiamma.
Walking up to the figure behind the window, the man began talking.
"Papers."
"I don't have papers."
The figure behind the window didn't react and simply asked.
"Are you an Awakaned, a User? What Rank?"
Ash hestitated for a moment before answering.
"I'm a User as you can see."
Ash lifted his hair and showed the chip to the gate guard.
"Rank?"
Ash was having second thoughts, but was quick to follow up.
"Rank 4."
The man grimaced for a moment before continuing.
"I've put you through our system, you are not on any wanted lists. So you can go ahead."
Ash was so confused by how easy it was that he had to ask back.
"Is that it?"
The man leaned against the wall.
"All Users and Awakaners are welcome in Primus. You also don't seem to be a criminal so I don't have a reason to deny you entry."
Ash was still baffled.
"But..."
"Listen kid, Primus is a place where power is everything, so long as you're a User it doesn't matter. Other places might be more thorough, but here it doesn't matter. We have the strongest people residing here, we are not worried about your kind making trouble."
Ash understood what the man was saying. He was both answering Ash's question and giving him a warning.
"Also if you plan on staying here I'd suggest getting some identification, you should visit the closest available office."
Ash thanked the man before entering the city through the now opened inner gate.
Entering the city he was instantly hit by the lights in it.
Neon signs, giant adverts along with the large buildings blocking out most of the sun made it feel like it was already close to night time even though there were still several hours till then.
The street where he stood had a seemingly endlessly stretching road in the middle and the neon stores and adverts on its side.
This entrance was very different from the one in Fiamma, there was no grandiose scenery, park or statues. It seemed like just another street in this giant city, with the only exception being a slightly larger road in the middle.
Without much knowledge of where things were Ash simply started walking parallel to the road, going deeper into the city.
His main objective right now being finding a government office.
So he just kept on walking, while reading the signs and adverts by the road.
Unsurprisingly they helped him very little in finding anything.
As he got further inside the frequency of cars became higher, and even the sidewalks became busier.
Finally he found the sign he had been looking for.
'Primus Government Office 400 m ->'
The sign pointed down one of the many side streets leading from this main road.
Heading down the street it didn't take long for Ash to arrive before what he assumed was the office he was meant to search for.
'I don't know it... looks off.'
The building he stood before had no real glamor to it, it simply looked like any other of the buildings surrounding it.
If not for the sign above the entrance saying it was the place he was searching for he'd have never guessed.
Walking in he was shocked to see just how many people were there already.
'This must actually be the place.'
He looked for a ticket machine, so he could get a number for himself.
Finding it he selected the identification option, but just when he was about ready to take his ticket, the machine continued.
"Please choose your payment option."
Looking at the screen Ash could feel his world crashing down.
It wasn't because he was surprised by the machine asking money for it, no it was because of his stupidity.
He had been so preoccupied with getting to the city and staying alive that he had forgotten one of the most important things needed in life... money.
'I'm flat broke.'
Out of desperation Ash tried to look around trying to see if anyone would help him, but it seemed no one was even looking at him.
'Fuck.'
Defeated Ash walked out of the government office.
'What do I do now?'
Only now did Ash realise, how little of this he had actually prepared for. He had no idea how to get money, where the academy was or how he was gonna get there and once he was there would he get a dorm room and food, or would he need to get money for that too.
'I really am so stupid.'
With all his "plans" thwarted Ash was now somewhat aimlessly walking through the streets of Primus.
As he walked he took more notice to the homeless around.
'I guess I'm just like them now.'
Ash had no clue what he was supposed to do, should he just start begging like the homeless around him.
In the end with the sun soon setting and with nowhere to go, he just kept on walking till he found an empty bench.
Soon as the sun set Ash layed down on the bench and looked up at the sky.
Looking up, the sky looked nothing like what he was used to as there were small white dots scattered around the entire skyline, with even the moon being all visible.
"How can this be..."
Ash couldn't stop himself from speaking out loud.
Hearing his genuine surprised tone a nearby homeless man spoke up.
"It's always fun when outsiders come in."
Ash got up from his resting position and turned towards the homeless man, answering him in the same beat.
"What's so fun about it?"
"They always get surprised by the smallest things."
Ash could feel himself becoming slightly upset.
"Small things? How could I not get shocked by seeing the night sky?"
"Hahaha"
The homeless man laughed.
"See you really don't know. This isn't the night sky its merely a projection, just like those ad signs you've seen around."
Ash was taken aback for a moment before speaking.
"So the whole sky it just a projection, can they really do that?"
The old man started laughing again.
"Haha... of course they can, there are much more unbelievable things that the elite can achieve."
Ash paused for a moment before asking a question.
"Are outsiders common?"
The old man pondered for a moment before answering.
"Well... they are common, but people like you are rare. Maybe once every few years do I come across people like you."
"People like me?"
Ash askes with a slightly confused tone.
"Homeless, directionless, reckless and not corporate recruits."
The words hit Ash like bullets, with it almost feeling like he was being called out.
"Well, I'm also homeless, so it's not like I'm much better off."
Ash hestitated for a moment, but seeing an opportunity he asked the homeless man.
"Is there a way to make money here?"
The old man gave Ash an odd look before answering.
"Kid you are asking the wrong person, do I look like I know?"
Then the old man paused for a moment before speaking up again.
"But I guess there are some ways to make money here, but they require strength like everything else in this city."
Ash's eyes widened upon hearing this, the old man clearly noticed this and spoke up.
"So long as you have the strength you could try going to The Arena. Still most people there are Awakaned of some kind, so I would not recommend it."
"How can I get there?"
Ash was quick to aswer and did it so excitedly.
"Listen it's not a place a kid like you should go. It's not rare for people there to die."
The old man looked at Ash's face and seeing as it didn't waver at all he reluctantly answered.
"I can show you the way tomorrow, if you are really sure, but I hope you think this through some more before then."
With that the old man went back to his sleeping position, with Ash soon following suit.
Laying on the bench Ash extended his hands towards the sky before clenching them.
'The Arena'