After a few minutes of walking on the building porch, also the walkway behind the peristyle, going from the side of the first column where Bebe exhibition platform is to the second to the last column on the opposite side of the tunnel they came from, which is also the jamb of the front entrance tunnel; the somewhat voluptuous woman that is leading them took a turn, going towards a lobby behind a ceiling-to-floor entrance between two glass wall, making the two do the same.
Shortly after, after following her through the entrance and entering the chamber of chameleon glass walls and a white wooden floor just like outside, the somewhat voluptuous woman took a turn that leads them away from the direction of the counter in front of them, and that leads them towards one of the freestanding floating elevator bathed in a white column light that penetrates the 100 meter tall chameleon glass ceiling of the lobby.
Reaching the elevator and after placing her palm on its glass wall, making it open; the somewhat voluptuous woman turned around to face them, and then she bowed humbly, addressing them politely:
"Your lordships, I will take my leave here, the boss and the madames are waiting in the western rooftop pavilion. The elevator will take you there."
"Thank you, Mrs Saras." Starboy returned the courtesy, then as Mrs Saras departs, with Skylar who is thinking about the martial status of the madame following behind him, he leads the way into the elevator which closed after them and starts ascending through the column light, towards the chameleon glass ceiling that is parting from the middle at where the column light pass through it like sliding doors, creating an opening for the elevator to pass through to the next floor above.
...
Inside the elevator, Skylar who has his entire focus on the scenery outside the elevator withdrew it and set it on Starboy behind him.
"Abbas, the activated stuff you were talking about... does it mean there are only eigthy activated safe zones in total? Twenty for each half?"
"Big bro, you know there are one hundred and eight zone per half, making four hundred and thirty two in total, excluding the central tower... Big bro you know the central tower right?"
"Mm-mm... The central tower is where the supreme quest is posted, I have heard about it. And for the number of safe zones and their distribution... I am well aware... they are illustrated on our maps..." Skylar responded while he watched the elevator pass through the circular aperture that recently fully opened on the chameleon glass ceiling, continuing its ascension within the light column that extend to the next floor in similar manner like the lower floor—with its ceiling parting where the light pass through it.
Starboy resumed: "Then big bro, among the hundred and eight safe zone for each half, we have inactivated safe zones, we also call them dormant safe zones, and they are the ones that have not been reached by someone that will initiate thier activation... The second one is activated safe zones; they are the ones that have been activated by someone the tower manager will then give the title and duty of a pioneer as a reward, and the last one are also activated safe zones, but we call them functioning safe zones because they have sufficient population to run them, lavender is an example..."
Pausing, Starboy looked at Skylar's way briefly.
He continued: "Big bro, you remember I mentioned the tower chose eighteen safe zones in every half where they spawn newbies close to right?"
"Mm-mm." Skylar nodded.
"So big bro... since they are the only ones the newbies that will populate and make them functional can easily reach, they are the only functioning ones... seventy two in total... the other activated safe zones are not functional...It lacks the required population."
"And by the way big bro, the only activated safe zones in our half are those functioning eighteen... Unlike the east that has six more activated safe zones plus those functioning eighteen, we have zero... the north has three more and the south has two more, making the total number of activated safe zones to be eighty three..."
"Why is that?" Skylar questioned, interrupting.
"Big bro, its because the expedition to find a new safe zone is extremely difficult. You know brave is both extremely big and dangerous, so if we are not originally spawn closer to them, the only thing we can do is embark on expeditions to find them. However this expeditions in addition to consuming both enormous amount of time and resources, requires several lord and great lords to be part of it, so only a team formed by several peak factions— the strongest factions in a half have a tiny chance of completing them."
"I see. So its means the factions in our half here are either weak or just unlucky—or they have not even tried one before?"
"More or less. We are the weakest of the four halfs by far, and if we compare the number of safe zone expeditions that has happened in our half to the other halfs, they are not even up to a tenth of the next weakest half, and I don't think the reason is because our peak factions can't measure up to those of the other half, which although is true... I think its because our peak factions don't believe they can succeed... and for them to even work together is another difficult problem. Despite the fact that faction war rarely happen here compared to the other halfs, our top factions just don't like themselves, they see other factions on their level as threats, so its difficult for them to trust each other..."
"I see, its like they want to eliminate each other badly but won't, since doing that won't benefit them in any way... if two factions were to fight, the one that win will definitely be attacked by another faction if it were to be weakened enough from the fight, even if it were to be slightly weakened, it might still be attacked by many factions working together and wiped out. So in the long run, its better to sit back and wait for a faction to make a move first and pray the faction they are making a move on is not your faction, or else you are doomed either way."
"Exactly big bro, the few faction wars we have here has never gone well for both sides unless they have a trustworthy ally that watches their back, or a very powerful backer the other factions on thier level fears." Starboy concluded.
Meanwhile, the elevator went through another opening in the ceiling of another floor that revealed itself just like the others—parting from the midfle like sliding doors where the column light pass through on the chameleon glass ceiling—continuing its ascent on another floor the two could easily see its entirety clearly, as the column light here is not obscuring simple vision like on the floors below, except the ground floor where they entered the elevator, a while back.
"Abbas what do they use this place for?" Skylar questioned.
Revealed on this floor is an indoor stadium that took up the entirety of the building's floor. its 300 meter tall ceiling was as expected made entirely of chameleon glass, and its tiered seatings were made of glossy white wood and they encircled to their center, a 900 meter wide chameleon glass floor that also has a 400 meter wide podium at its center.
While Skylar carefully examined the place, with the elevator moving farther up within the column light and towards another aperture on the ceiling that is opening up as the others, Starboy replied, "Big bro, they rent it out to small time entertainers, and sometimes they used it for special star performer auction... you know that thing where elite customers bid for a star performer service?"
"I see." Skylar smiled. "So, how many times have you participated?"
"Big bro, I don't remember—its been long. The last time I participated in the auction was more than two years ago... I am a VIP customer now. So, as long as I have the money for their service, I have direct access to any star performer."
"Oh, how does one become a VIP? Have a huge CLV?" Skylar questioned, he turned around, facing Starboy.
"No big bro, after someone become an elite customer after spending ten million gold... to become a VIP is no longer a matter of money; its the management that will send someone an invite. And according to what I heard big bro... they say all customers also has a point system where the performers will score us points base on well we treat them. So people conclude that before we are sent a VIP invite after becoming an elite customer, our point total must reach a certain value."
"I see..." Smiling, Skylar nodded his head. "But can't someone manipulate these points by paying the performers to score them high."
Before Starboy replied, his entire being somehow changed—he looked solemn and a little sad.
Anyways, he replied, "To some extent yes, but a performer will be in big trouble if they are caught... its like a breach of contract. So if a performer will collect any money from a customer, they must make sure they are never found out. Performers that do this are few and far between, and sometimes there are even bastards that will blackmail them with it; they will threaten to report them if they don't do what they want..."
"I think the whole thing is not even a smart move, there is no way for a customer to know if the performer will do her end of the deal?" Skylar interjected, not caring about Starboy changed tone that sounded sober and a little sad.
Meanwhile, the ascending elevator passed through the 25 meter long vertical tunnel opening the indoor stadium chameleon glass ceiling leads, arriving in an open space that is the roof top of the round building with walled edges, stopping and waiting briefly a couple meter above the part of the rooftop floor that is closing similarly like the part of the indoor stadium ceiling 25 meters below that it passed through. Then after the opening on the rooftop closed, the elevator landed on it and opened. Then Skylar and Starboy who has both been strangely quiet for a while came out of it, stepping feet on the chameleon glass floor that surrounds as its edge—a 700 meter wide pool of ultra transparent blue water that is reflecting cool white sun rays from beyond, and its at the center of the building's rooftop.
Skylar raised his head, firstly looking up at the sky of blue and white clouds that generously accommodates the parallel white sun rays from far beyond, penetrating them and lighting up everything below it, telling with certainty that its sunshine hour.
Looking at it now, this strange sun rays are completely parallel; its not like on earth where its like its coming from a sphere up close... I even wonder what their source of light is... And by the way, the only two places I am certain have a source of light like this is the wolf lair and the flower mountain... Maybe they designed the simulation so that only safe zones will have light like this... But if its true, I am certain there is definitely something unsual going on with flower mountain and that wolf lair... Maybe I might even know more about that serpent bitch... I've been having this...
"Big bro, is there anything wrong?" Starboy interrupted Skylar's internal monolog, calling his attention back to the rooftop.
"Mmm no. I was just thinking about something." Skylar replied. The rooftop they are on is surrounded at the sides by the round wall of the building that extends up a 75 meters more. And the 700 meter circular pool at the center ringed by a hundred meter wide chameleon glass floor, which is also ringed by an out-of-this-world garden that extends to the walls, except for the northern side that correspond to the front tunnel below, which is made to be an observation deck by adjusting the part of the building chameleon glass wall enclosing it to be ultra transparent and its otherwise chameleon glass floor adjoining the chameleon glass floor that surrounds the very large pool, adjusted to appear black and opaque.
He continued, "So, which one is the western pavilion?"