The journey to the administrative block was faster than expected. Elderwood was lost in deep thought while Reever was busy counting the money he had and planning what he would use it for. After around thirty minutes, they arrived at the final gate that led to the Administration Block.
"Now we are at the admin block. Please behave well, as the level of security is high. Any misbehavior could lead to us being kicked out," Elderwood warned.
The block stood at the center of the city. The place was deathly calm, with almost no noise, unlike the trading block. The tall skyscraper Reever had seen when he first entered the city looked even taller up close. The building was dark in color, with nothing but a small board indicating that it was the venue they were supposed to be at.
"The buildings of this place lack taste. Who was in charge of construction here?" Reever asked.
"It was the system itself that made everything you see here. The developers did this for fun, but who cares? The inside of the building is all that matters. I heard that high ranked cities look like a utopia compared to this place, almost like the real world," Elderwood explained as he walked to the left side of the building, where an even larger statue of Reever stood. He bowed for a moment as Reever shook his head.
"I have always wondered why the statues of this man are everywhere in the city. Why do you even bow to him? Sure, the guy was cool and epic, but it has been half a millennium since he died. You have to move on," Reever said bluntly. He did not like the way people worshiped him or how statues of him were placed all over the city.
"Please do not say that loudly," Elderwood replied after hearing Reever's remarks. "You might get arrested if you speak so bluntly about our hero. This has been a custom for more than five centuries, and I do not think it will ever change. You have to pay your respect before the authorities see you. Only grandmasters and above are excluded from this custom."
"Well, fine. But I do not need to pay my respect to a dead man. Let us enter the block already. I feel bummed out," Reever said as he headed toward the building.
Two guards were stationed at the entrance, holding large and intimidating guns in their hands. They wore black suits with helmets covering their faces.
"They sure lack dressing taste." Reever mentally mocked.
"Halt," one of the guards said, tightening his grip on the weapon. "No one is allowed to enter without being summoned by the town mayor."
Elderwood was not surprised. He summoned his entry pass card, which displayed all his information.
"My friend here is new to this place, and he is here to register for an entry pass," Elderwood explained.
"No problem. However, you both need to wear these wristwatches to prevent you from summoning weapons before entering," the guard said as he took out two black watches and fastened them onto their wrists. Reever felt no restriction, though he was not in a position to test whether the watch actually limited his abilities.
They were then allowed to enter the building.
Like the library, the interior was far larger than it appeared from the outside. A waiting bay stretched before them, filled with countless seats occupied by many people. At the far end of the room stood a curved counter, behind which an AI secretary construct sat reading documents.
"The building has over fifteen floors, and each floor has its own function," Elderwood explained after noticing Reever's amazement. "The ground floor is the waiting bay, the first ten floors are offices, the next two house cafeterias and resting areas, and the last two floors belong to the mayor.
Wait until you see how transportation works here. There are no stairs. Let me show you as we head to the highest floor."
They turned a corner and arrived at a hall lined with countless lift doors. They chose one and stepped inside. Elderwood pressed the button marked fifteen, and two seconds later, the door opened.
"Nothing happened," Reever said.
"No, you dummy. The lift directly teleports you to the floor you choose," Elderwood grinned, expecting a shocked reaction. Instead, he was disappointed. Reever had experienced enough surprises for one day, and simple teleportation no longer impressed him.
The floor had only one door at the end of the hallway. Elderwood knocked twice, and a feminine voice invited them in.
Inside were two elegant counters. Unlike the waiting bay, there were no AI constructs here. Two female players in official suits sat behind the desks, one reading documents while the other spoke on the phone.
The room was well furnished, with five white, comfortable three-seaters, a large screen mounted on the wall, and a fridge stocked with drinks. Another door led to the mayor's office.
"How can I help you, gentlemen?" the secretary reading documents asked.
"I am here to help my friend obtain an entry pass from the mayor," Elderwood replied.
The secretary typed on her computer before asking for their names.
"My name is Elderwood, and my friend here is Bot 067. He does not talk much," Elderwood said.
"You are in luck. The mayor is available today and is willing to meet you," she said. "Please wait on the couch for a few minutes until you are called."
Reever sat down while Elderwood immediately walked to the fridge and grabbed a drink.
"Will you ever stop eating for once?" Reever asked, astonished by Elderwood's boldness.
"I cannot help it. I eat like this when I am nervous, so just let me be," Elderwood replied as he chugged down an entire bottle of soda.
"Why get nervous? We are just meeting the mayor," Reever said, rolling his eyes.
"That is exactly the problem. The mayor used to be my girlfriend seven years ago, and we even had a child together. We broke up, and now look how far she has risen. To become a mayor, one needs to reach the Elite Pro rank and be highly capable.
I am only at the late stage of Veteran, barely breaking into Elite, while she is two ranks ahead of me. She might look down on me for my low rank. After all, I started playing this game before she did," Elderwood said, still drinking.
"So that is why you did not flirt with the librarian. Your ex is here," Reever mocked.
"Mr. Elderwood and Bot 067, the mayor will see you now," the secretary announced.