Chapter 56: Increasing Citizenship Rank, Blue Star’s Shock (2)
"With that settled, it’s time to upgrade my citizen rank." Grey said with a smile.
Citizen Rank dictated one’s standing in Blue Star. It was a mark of respect and status within the evolver community. Ordinary evolvers and people alike held Rank One Citizenship. Their area of control and influence was barely worth mentioning, with no perks to speak of.
However, that changed with 2nd Rank Citizenship. It provided a drastic shift in one’s lifestyle. Starting from 2nd rank, people would always give you face in meetings or even when you were out—and that was just the surface-level perk known to the general public.
Grey swiftly navigated through his newly forged interface and opened up his Blue Star Account. He logged in and immediately went into his profile. There, his information and citizenship rank were displayed.
Right next to the citizenship rank, there was an upgrade button. And beneath it were the words: Ready to upgrade.
This was something the majority of evolvers in Blue Star would never see in their entire life. Some even made it their lifelong goal to reach Rank Two Citizenship—to enjoy higher status and leave a legacy for their family.
Grey hesitated no longer. He pressed the Upgrade button with his thought.
The screen shifted, and an animation began to play—an overly dramatic sequence of a rocket piercing through the sky and vanishing into a sea of distant stars. Only after that flashy presentation did the system finally display the notification.
[Citizenship Rank: 1 → 2]
[New Perks Available]
"...A rocket soaring into a sea of stars? Really, Eterna?" Grey stared blankly at the screen, tone flat. "You do realize the people of Blue Star haven’t even stepped beyond their own atmosphere, right? Throwing cosmic symbolism at a civilization that can’t even comprehend the word ’orbit’... isn’t this just mockery dressed up as inspiration?"
"..." Eterna said nothing and vanished.
Grey shifted his attention back to the interface. It was time to check his new perks as a Rank Two Citizen.
Clicking on the New Perks Available notification, a new window opened, and a list appeared.
"This..." Grey read through the list one line at a time, and the more he saw, the brighter his expression became.
"Hey Eterna, aren’t these perks a bit too much for a mere first rank evolver like me?" Grey asked, an amazed smile tugging at his lips.
Normally, even second rank beings couldn’t obtain second rank citizenship. Only those at third rank who had made outstanding military contributions, or elite graduates from top academies with the backing of fourth rank existences, had the qualifications to receive it. And in truth, graduating from those academies was far more difficult than earning military merit.
The first perk that stood out was the universal discount exclusive to second rank citizens. No matter where he went—whether it was a street stall selling chicken skewers or a luxury toy store—anything he purchased would automatically receive a 20% discount.
Not only that, he could now purchase things on credit and pay it back within a year with no interest.
The second perk was prioritization. Wherever he went—be it the Golden Chamber or a weapon store—he would be granted priority entry even if a massive queue was lined up outside. Even if a third rank evolver was waiting, he, as a first rank, would still walk in first so long as that third rank didn’t possess higher citizenship clearance than him.
And in Grey’s opinion, the most exciting perk so far was the third one—a free mansion exclusively designated for second rank citizens. A fully customizable residence that he could design himself, and the best part was that it came with an energy-gathering array even stronger than the one at the Evolver Association.
But beyond all that, there was an even more significant benefit—access to advanced resources. Resources that were normally restricted from first and even second rank evolvers were now available to him.
"This is great." Grey nodded. "How do I customize my mansion, Eterna?"
He was excited.
A mansion—in this age, how much did a mansion cost?
Not even a second rank could properly afford one.
"You need to access virtual reality to customize your mansion," Eterna said.
"But I don’t have a VR headset or a sensory link pod." Grey frowned. "Do I really have to buy one now?"
"No." Eterna spoke softly. "Since you can access the information layer, you can directly enter the virtual world with the help of your cognitive anchor. Come to the information layer, I’ll filter out the signal for the Virtual World for you."
Grey did as Eterna told him. He swiftly climbed up into the information layer utilizing his cognitive anchor and saw Eterna floating in the blank world with a distant look on her face.
Seeing that he had arrived, she turned to him and spoke. "I’ve filtered out the signals. You should be able to sense it now. Try it yourself."
Grey nodded and immediately activated Mind Link Interface Art. Right away, he caught a huge signal—it was none other than the Virtual World. He seized it and, utilizing the information layer’s current, forged an icon for it in his interface so he could access it without coming back to the information layer again.
Then, using the icon, he directly entered the Virtual World and immediately activated his perk.
The moment he did, the world around him blurred, then solidified into a sleek, digital blueprint of lands. He floated above it, viewing it like a virtual city outlined in neon.
"Huh, isn’t this the Inner District in Sector One?" Grey asked after seeing the outline of the map.
"Yes," Eterna replied in his head. "Only the Inner District has sufficient land to build a tier 2 mansion."
"But wouldn’t making a mansion in the Inner District cause the others staying there to notice?" Grey frowned. He didn’t want to reveal himself just like that.
"Unless you decide to reveal yourself, they won’t be able to access your information," Eterna spoke softly. "Even the city lord won’t be able to access your information."
"Then that’s good." Grey nodded and swiftly selected a plot of land far away from the city lord’s mansion and the other mansions around it.
As soon as he selected it, his view shifted and a new menu appeared—the customization menu.
Grey opened it, and the mansion’s blueprint spread out before him like a glowing holographic map. Several slots blinked, each representing a potential room.
He clicked the first slot. A menu floated in front of him with options—walls, flooring, furniture, and purpose. "Living quarters," he selected. Instantly, a cozy technologically advanced room materialized, walls lined with soft neon strips, a modular bed floating slightly above the ground, and shelves.
The second slot he clicked became a standard training room. The menu offered reinforced walls, anti-shock flooring, and adjustable holographic targets. Grey fine-tuned it to handle a Second Rank Evolver’s power without causing destruction. He smiled as the room solidified around the parameters he set.
The third slot he dedicated to a pool area. With a few gestures, a small pool was born.
Every change was instantaneous. The mansion shifted and updated with every selection, the interface translating his choices into reality. Grey leaned back, admiring the results. With just a few clicks and adjustments, he had created a personal mansion which he could call home.
"It’s done." Grey smiled.