As Adyr waited and watched how the situation would develop, three men in suits entered quickly through the back door and headed straight for the reception desk.
"Take them away." Said the short, slightly overweight one with a firm, controlled voice.
Adyr wasn't surprised. They were likely internal security, the type that watched the lobby 24/7. If they had been monitoring from the start, they would have seen everything up to the final moment.
"Mr. Adyr, correct?" The short man asked, walking over as he dabbed sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"That's me," Adyr said with a calm smile, looking as if he had no idea what had just happened.
"Apologies for the disturbance. I'll escort you to Mr. Victor," the man offered politely.
But there was something off. He looked more nervous than he should have been.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Adyr asked casually.
"Excuse me?" The man blinked.
"No? Oh, right. You're married," Adyr said, noticing the ring on his finger, then glanced toward the reception desk where the addicted receptionist had been standing just minutes ago. "So that would make her your mistress."
"Mr. Adyr, I'm not sure what you're suggesting. Please, follow me. Mr. Victor is waiting," the man said, his tone quickening along with the sweat forming again on his brow as he turned toward the elevator.
Adyr followed, slow and steady, and kept speaking. "Aren't you the head of security? The one responsible for screening all hires?" He raised a brow. "Am I wrong?"
The scene was already clear in his mind. The woman collapsing. Security entering at just the right moment. This man giving orders as soon as he showed up, like he was trying to clean up the mess.
It didn't take effort to piece it together.
"I…" The man froze.
He had probably watched the whole thing on a screen, then rushed down hoping to control the damage. But now, in front of Adyr, he realized he couldn't bury it.
"Please…" he whispered. He could feel the eyes of nearby guards on him. But they weren't the real threat.
He might've had the authority to shut this down. But if Adyr said one word to Victor or anyone higher, it would all fall apart.
Adyr chuckled and stepped into the elevator. "Relax. Don't look at me like I'm the bad guy."
Then he turned to the man, still frozen by the door. "Well? Weren't you going to show me the way? Come on."
The man stared at the elevator. For a moment, it looked like the door to hell. And Adyr, standing inside and smiling, might as well have been the devil.
—
With a soft chime, the elevator doors opened slowly. Adyr and the security chief stepped out with steady, unhurried steps.
Adyr's expression was the same as always—blank and calm. The security chief, on the other hand, still looked pale, occasionally wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. Still, he seemed more composed than before.
Whatever had been said in the elevator had apparently calmed him.
Adyr scanned the new floor.
It looked even larger than the reception area. The ground was a mix of soft black mats and solid black granite tiles. Various training equipment surrounded them—some familiar, some not.
"Is this the training area?" Adyr asked calmly without turning around.
"Yes, Mr. Adyr. There are three areas in total. Physical, mental, and skill training. This entire floor is dedicated to physical training," the security chief replied quickly.
For a moment, he looked more like Adyr's personal assistant than head of security.
"Three, huh? Impressive," Adyr muttered. His expression didn't match the compliment.
After walking a bit and glancing around, he spotted Victor talking animatedly with a small group.
"Sir, would you like me to let him know you've arrived?" The security chief asked in a softer tone.
Adyr shook his head. "No need. He's almost done."
And just as he said, Victor wrapped up his conversation. After a quick handshake, he turned and walked toward Adyr.
Without a word, they bumped shoulders in greeting.
"Where've you been? I've been waiting," Victor said with a faint scowl.
'"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I got a little lost, but thanks to this gentleman, I found my way," Adyr replied, smiling.
"Ah, I should've come down myself," Victor said, then turned to the security chief. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for the assist, Gregor. You're a good man."
Gregor stiffened at the sudden touch but kept his composure. He smiled lightly and responded with a steady tone, "It's my pleasure, Mr. Victor."
"Yeah, he's a good one. Makes me feel safer knowing someone like him runs security." Adyr added, giving Gregor a slight nod. "Thanks for the help. Sorry for taking your time."
Gregor wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Please, Mr. Adyr. Anyone would've done the same, haha." Then he added, "If you'll excuse me, I need to return to my station."
"Alright. Take care," Victor said.
Gregor held his gaze on Adyr a moment longer, as if waiting for approval. When Adyr gave a slight nod, Gregor turned and quickly walked away.
It almost looked like he was running.
"He works hard," Victor said, clearly impressed by the urgency in Gregor's steps.
Then he turned to Adyr. "Ready to be impressed? I bet once you've seen the place, you'll accept the invitation on the spot."
"Surprise me," Adyr replied.
Taking the opportunity, Victor began with the three main training zones, introducing each of the facility's floors in order.
For once, Adyr was genuinely impressed by what he saw.
The skill training area, in particular, spared no expense. It looked like a team of top-tier professionals had been brought in to design it.
According to Victor, the area was built to support the in-game stat system. Since players gained stats by registering their talents, they had created a simulation space where one could train in anything—from swordsmanship to firearms, from dancing to cooking.
And it didn't stop there. For almost every possible skill, they had hired top experts in the field. While exploring, Adyr even recognized a few professors from the university who had apparently been recruited to work here.
Even he had to admit this place could help him refine many of the talents he had acquired in his previous life.
Beyond the training floors, there were fully equipped residential levels for players and staff. An entire floor was dedicated to entertainment and relaxation. Another hosted a restaurant operated by some of the best chefs in the region—and more.
But it wasn't all built for players.
Several research floors were outfitted with advanced laboratories and high-end computer systems. Even Victor didn't have full clearance for those sections, so Adyr couldn't see everything, but it was enough to realize how seriously they took their R&D.
And the most striking part—this was all for a game.
For a brief moment, Adyr wondered if the whole facility was actually an intelligence center, training players to become skilled operatives, preparing them to explore and control the new world.