Max and the squad walked through Kasia's High streets. These streets made up sort of a second city. A city on top of a city. Built on top of larger buildings, connected with wide bridges, these streets showed a level of architecture and scale that most cities on this floor couldn't reach.
Buildings a hundred meters tall, thirty stories or so, were common. Bridges went down and up to connect the building tops of various peak heights. Max slowed without meaning to. The scale of this game still got to him, despite his having been in this city before.
Clothing stores, restaurants, hotels and other shops flanked the stone path.
"This is way nicer than the Lower streets," Thomas said.
Max spotted a tall museum of Virtonian history that, combined with the building below it, reached two hundred and fifty meters.
"That's almost as tall as the Imperial Palace," Eliyah said, nodding toward the palace in the distance.
It was a thousand-year-old city of a million people, built not only by hands, tools and machines but by countless different uses of aura as well. The squad admired the surroundings as they walked.
Some buildings had roofs of varied colors, some had none. Some walls were colored, similar to modern ones on houses, others were made out of blocks of light-colored rock.
Max and the squad crossed another bridge that had countless leaves and long-stemmed flowers hanging from it on both sides.
Up ahead was an Arena Administration building. Here you could buy tickets, sign up and set a time for a duel, practice or battle at one of many arenas in Virtonis' capital Kasia or give votes for certain events and combatants for various purposes.
Two white metal statues of warriors Max didn't recognize flanked the large open entrance of the reception hall. One seemed to use gauntlets while the other had a sharp weapon, unlike any Max had seen, that coiled around him like a snake without touching him.
The building had large glass windows on the second and third stories, almost as wide as the wall itself. It was built out of a gold-like material with a slight red hue that seemed characteristic of a metal Max couldn't place. There were also pillars upholding balconies on the sides, and two small arenas within a 600-meter radius of the building, a ten-minute walk at most.
"We're not late, are we?" Max asked. He looked toward Manuel.
"No. And even if we are, I heard from an NPC that you can challenge a tournament member to take his spot if it's full. He can't refuse. You didn't know this?"
"No," Max said, frowning.
A crowd of people was moving in and out.
"I watched a few smaller tournaments. Not as big as this one. A guy took the spot of a favorite in the tournament, it created a ripple back then when I was here. He won too," the spear knight said that right before the squad reached one of the several lines of people waiting for their turn at the reception.
"Arena duels and battles are a major entertainment business in Virtonis. It's like football in Europe," said Manuel.
The line progressed very quickly, almost like a small store. People said a few words, paid up and got their tickets in a matter of a dozen seconds.
Very soon it was Max's turn.
"Good day," said a blonde woman behind the glass.
"I'd like to sign up for the Imperial Tournament," Max said immediately.
"Please go to the third story using the stairs. Once you do, go right," she said.
"Thank you."
Two staircases with blue carpets over the steps rose on either side of the five reception desks.
The squad climbed past the second story, what looked like a lounging area with a few office rooms and a large window overlooking the city, up to the third, where three hallways branched off, and went right.
They were greeted by sitting people in a waiting room. They sat on cushioned comfortable chairs and waited. Weapons hung from belts or leaned against the chairs; Max sensed they were all fighters.
One by one, people came out of the large darkwood door decorated with silver patterns and fifteen minutes later, it was Max's turn.
The squad nodded and Max got up.
He opened the door.
Inside was an expansive office with bookshelves, plants, a green fur carpet and a large, wide window overlooking the great city. A man sat in front of the window, obstructing the view partially.
"Welcome," he said, facing Max from his large, red seat. He had long platinum hair and dark clothing. The desk was of white wood and it was neat. Papers were stacked on his left side. A metallic ringed device of a spherical shape was on his right.
"Hello, hello." Max sat down.
The two faced each other, and Max told him he was signing up for the Imperial Tournament.
The man looked at Max with his blue eyes for a moment in silence.
"Okay. The tournament is in seven days so you will have to decide very soon. No more challenges in two days."
Max nodded.
"I can give you the list of all fighters, their weapons and styles. Help you choose the easiest one for you."
"I'd like to face a spearman if possible," Max said with a smile.
"Oh, great. We've got one. Though, I have to confirm, you have ascended, right?"
"I am a Higher, yes."
The man, who looked to be in his twenties, nodded and grabbed a piece of paper from beneath his desk.
"I will inform the spear fighter of your challenge. You will be sent a letter in two days at the latest informing you of the arena in which the duel will happen and the time."
Max nodded. "Okay."
"Your full name?"
"Max Veritas."
"Age?"
"Twenty...four," Max said, counting it out. He had been twenty-two, turning twenty-three, when the game started.
"Where do you reside currently?" the man asked Max.
"White Rosna Hotel," Max answered.
"Thank you. You will receive a letter at that address. Please sign here and here."
Max nodded and signed his name on two papers.
"Thanks, goodbye."
"Wait. You have to pay the challenge fee."
Max turned around. "Sorry, I forgot."
"Ten thousand," the man said.
Max sighed as he summoned cash from his Inventory. He put it on the desk and walked away.
"Good luck," said the man.
Max didn't really know who the man was or what he did. He wasn't familiar with stuff like this. He navigated the halls and descended to the ground floor.
He inhaled deeply as he got outside, into the light of the two suns.