Chapter 63: The Central Research Institution

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Central Research Institution

Stepping through the pressurized airlock of the skycruiser into the arrivals concourse of the Sena Metropolitan Terminal, Eric felt the difference down to his bone.

The air wasn’t merely chilled; it was dense, pristine, and heavy with ambient energy. The ambient mana concentration in this public transit hub was easily more than double the sparse currents back in Riverdale, humming with vitality that seemed to coat his lungs with every breath.

Even the civil infrastructure existed on a completely different plane. Sleek, iridescent composite alloys and towering archways of mana-conductive glass replaced the rough-hewn limestone and utilitarian girders of the frontier hubs. Automated service drones zipped in tight aerial corridors overhead, and three-dimensional runic displays projected real-time transport schedules directly into the open air.

Yet what truly stunned Eric was the crowd.

Back in Riverdale, breaching the Soldier rank turned an awakened tamer into a local pillar, commanding deference across guild halls and Association counters. Here in the capital concourse, early-stage Soldier-rank auras were as common as pebbles on a riverbank.

Even more daunting, Eric caught multiple heavy, rolling mana signatures weaving through the pedestrian flow, genuine Captain-rank powerhouses casually strolling in tailored business suits or high-collared military overcoats.

*Incredible...* Eric thought, his chest tightening with quiet, thrumming adrenaline. *So this is the heart of Auremont. This is Sena.*

Wasting no time, Eric navigated the automated transit lines out to the ground-level concourse and hailed an available mag-lev cab.

"Central Research Institution," Eric said, sinking into the plush leather seat and resting his modest travel bag across his lap.

The driver glanced into the rearview mirror, noting Eric’s simple frontier travel clothes and youthful profile. "Fresh intake, eh? Buckle up, kid. You’re in for a treat."

Within forty minutes, the cab crested a grand boulevard flanked by towering mana-conductive weeping willows whose silver-blue fronds glowed softly in the morning shade, decelerating smoothly before pulling up to an expansive, cobblestone staging plaza.

Eric stepped down onto the flagstones and tilted his head back. The sheer scale of the sight stole the breath clean from his lungs.

"Woah... It’s colossal," Eric muttered under his breath, his dark eyes wide with awe. "It looks like something straight out of an ancient high-fantasy citadel."

The Central Research Institution bore little resemblance to a sterile modern facility; it was an ancient, sovereign city in its own right.

Soaring Gothic spires of dark slate and polished blue granite pierced the canopy of emerald-leafed elder trees. Flying buttresses connected colossal research towers wrapped in thick, pulsing cerulean mana conduits. Wide cobblestone avenues wound gracefully between classical stone pavilions, geometric reflecting pools, and expansive, multi-tiered glass arboretums.

Everywhere he looked, senior scholars and upperclassmen clad in tailored ivory research coats strolled the thoroughfares with scrolls and data slates tucked under their arms.

At their sides walked extraordinary contracted beasts: juvenile armored drakes basking lazily upon warm flagstones, luminous spectral foxes gliding silently behind their masters, and massive winged raptors perched like living gargoyles atop ornate stone balustrades.

Eric swallowed the dry knot in his throat, adjusted his bag, and approached the primary security archway, displaying his digital admission token.

Focusing his gaze, Eric subtly checked the guard standing watch beside the massive runic gate. The middle-aged officer leaned casually against an alloy spear, yet the heavy, suffocating pressure rippling passively off his broad frame made the hairs on Eric’s arms stand on end.

*A Captain rank...* Eric realized with a jolt. *They have a genuine Captain-tier powerhouse pulling guard duty at the outer gate?!*

The guard tapped his terminal console, cross-referencing Eric’s admit token before offering a brisk, disciplined nod.

"Everything checks out on the preliminary intake registry, kid. You’re cleared through the barrier," the guard said, pointing a scarred, calloused finger toward the sprawling interior avenues.

"However, your formal enrollment won’t be locked into the central mainframe until you submit your physical admission letter and biometrics at Research Building 15. Make sure you clear it before the seventeen-hundred cutoff, or your dorm allocation gets pushed to the overflow barracks."

"Understood, sir. Thank you."

Passing through the humming cerulean barrier, Eric stepped onto the central campus avenue.

He stared out into the dizzying maze of winding cobblestone paths, classical courtyards, and towering spires, completely disoriented.

"This campus is literally the size of an entire border settlement," Eric muttered, scratching the back of his neck in exasperation. "How on earth am I supposed to track down RB-15 at this rate?"

Ahead, a female upperclassman in a light-blue athletic uniform was jogging down the path, a Vinewhisker trotting effortlessly beside her heel.

Eric stepped forward, raising a polite hand. "Excuse me? Could you point me toward Research Building 15?"

The girl broke her stride, catching her breath and dabbing a line of sweat from her brow with a linen towel as her beast sniffed curiously in Eric’s direction.

"First-year admit, right?" she asked with an amused, knowing smile. "RB-15 is deep in the eastern biological quad. It’s way too far to hike on foot unless you want to burn an entire hour walking with your luggage. Take a left at that marble fountain ahead, you’ll find an institutional scooter bay lined up along the curb. You can unlock one with your student token. Just remember to dock it in an official bay when you arrive, or the automated disciplinary system will take your merit points."

"Understood! Thank you so much," Eric replied gratefully.

Following her directions, Eric located the row of streamlined mana-powered scooters docked beside the fountain. Swiping his admit token across the handlebar terminal, the motor hummed to life with a quiet electric purr.

Riding the scooter down the paved boulevard, Eric passed sprawling alchemical botanical gardens, reinforced paddocks housing juvenile wyverns, and towering library archives wrapped in runic wards.

Even at a brisk cruising speed, it took a solid ten minutes of navigating through the campus before a massive, four-story stone edifice adorned with a polished silver plaque came into view: *RB-15: Admissions & Biological Records*.

Eric docked the scooter into the designated magnetic stall and pushed through the heavy oak double doors.

The grand lobby was cool and quiet, lined with dark mahogany counters and floating holographic filing arrays. Eric approached the primary reception desk.

"Excuse me, I’m reporting to complete my formal enrollment."

The registrar behind the desk, a plump, round-faced gentleman wearing thin spectacles, looked up with a cheerful beam. He tapped his glass console, and Eric’s full academic dossier materialized in glowing script.

"Ah, you must be student Eric! The top theoretical scorer in the whole kingdom," the registrar chuckled warmly, pivoting a digital slate toward him. "We’ve had your packet flagged since yesterday morning. The physical forms and biometric verifications are prepared. Review the institutional charter, sign along the dotted lines, and we’ll have you officially inducted into the academy roster."

"Thank you, sir."

Eric carefully reviewed the terms, noting the student code of conduct, lab safety protocols, and merit point allocations, before pressing his thumb onto the biometric pad and scribing his signature with the stylus.

*PING.*

CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTION

Student Registration: COMPLETE

Identity: Student Eric

Status: Active Matriculation

"All set, young man," the registrar handed him a sleek, silver student identification card etched with CRI’s interlocking quill-and-beast-claw crest. "You’re officially one of us."

"Thank you for your assistance," Eric smiled, securing the card in his breast pocket.

Pushing through the heavy oak doors, Eric stepped back out into the late morning sun. The sky was an immaculate, cloudless cerulean. A gentle breeze rustled through the ancient oaks, carrying the distant, majestic calls of exotic beasts echoing from the training paddocks.

Standing atop the broad marble steps, Eric closed his eyes, filling his lungs with the crisp, mana-saturated air.

"Finally done with the registration bullshit," he murmured, a wide grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

He looked down at the sprawling stone roads branching out in four separate directions, the vast campus buzzing with senior researchers, automated transport carts, and strange contracted beasts.

Eric paused, blinking slowly.

"Wait... where the hell is my dorm now?"