He had known the system would find a way to upgrade the training facility to the bronze stage, especially after projecting the 3D outline to him.
But never in his wildest thoughts did he expect it to send a full group of contractors, in fact, he was beginning to suspect they might be cyborgs with human skin just to blend in.
Either way, the idea that the system would magically transform the facility on its own vanished the moment he saw these workers, it was clear now, they were the ones who would be responsible for the renovation and upgrade of the Dark Elites Training Facility, therefore there won't be too much suspicion on how the training facility magically changed
"Sir," the middle-aged man said, snapping Mystic out of his thoughts.
Mystic took the pen being offered and quickly signed the necessary spots before handing the contract-like paper back.
"Thank you, sir, we'll begin work immediately to meet the time limit you've set," the man said respectfully, Mystic nodded, now more composed and acting as if this was all part of the plan, so he won't be giving his uncle any ideas .
Behind him, Alfred stood frozen, still processing the scene, he hadn't caught Mystic's momentary shock as he too was too busy staring at the massive team in disbelief.
When Alfred had said he'd bring in some people to help, he had meant a few acquaintances who owed him a favour, guys he planned to pay out of pocket just to help without telling Mystic.
But this… this was something else entirely. Seeing the sheer number and readiness of the workers, Alfred couldn't help but wonder just how far ahead Mystic had planned, when had his nephew started moving steps ahead of him without even realizing it?
"See? Told you they're reliable," Mystic said with a smirk, turning to his still-stunned uncle.
"Wait in the car, Uncle. Let me watch them for a bit," Mystic said as he walked Alfred to the hover car, then turned back toward the training facility.
The workers were already scattered across the grounds, swiftly getting to work, though Mystic couldn't quite figure out where they were sourcing all the materials from, but he didn't bother asking, he had another reason for returning to the facility, he needed some privacy.
"X, tell me how exactly does this one-year service plan relate to the training facility I'm building?" he asked, having been dying for answers.
[X: After the training center is upgraded to bronze rank, several new services will be activated, you don't have any employees to handle those, and the system is simply requesting a modest fee to provide you with temporary service bots, these bots which would also have human bodies to avert suspicions will manage areas like the Nutrition Nook and other support roles, and they are completely loyal to you and crucial to running the facility, as without them, the place won't function.]
Mystic sighed, so, it wasn't just a random follow-up fee, it was a hard requirement.
If he didn't pay, he'd be left with a shiny new facility but no one to keep it running.
The bots would serve as medical staff, though not top-tier, but efficient enough for a bronze-rank setup, they'd be capable of handling most injuries his players might suffer, and then there were the bots for the Nutrition Nook.
It wasn't large enough to be called a full cafeteria, but it was still more than what most street-level clubs had.
X had also hinted that the bots brought additional perks, even beyond their core functions, quiet advantages that would likely reveal themselves in time.
They would also be providing the team with food for a full year as part of the Nutrition service plan, additionally, cleaning bots were included to handle facility maintenance.
Mystic quickly realized that arguing with the system's plan would only hurt him in the long run, especially after seeing how cost-effective it was. As hiring people to do the same jobs for an entire year would've easily cost him far more.
And just like that, Mystic reluctantly parted with another hundred thousand Alliance coins, then returned to wait with his uncle.
--
An hour later, just minutes before Viper's scheduled arrival, the workers began exiting the facility in droves.
Most of them boarded the bus immediately, except for their leader.
Noticing they were wrapping up, Mystic and Alfred stepped down from the hover car and approached the middle-aged man.
"We've completed the job, sir, everything is exactly how you specified," the man reported, though Mystic had never had any type of conversation with the man before him until earlier but Mystic assumed he meant that what he had seen on the 3D outline
"Thank you," Mystic said, extending a hand, the man shook it firmly before heading to join the rest of his team on the bus, which drove off moments later, as their vehicle pulled away, new figures began arriving, each one nodding respectfully to Mystic as they entered the facility.
It didn't take long for him to realize they were the service bots the system had sent, as they all called him boss, their timing aligned perfectly with the upgrade's completion.
Whether Mystic showed up or not, they would be present every day, their one-year contract had begun.
Alfred, silently observing all this from the side, and felt something stir in his chest. Pride. He was genuinely impressed.
Mystic had not only handled the renovation but had also hired an entire support staff to keep the place running.
"Uncle Alfred, let's go in, we're finally ready to host," Mystic said as they began walking toward the training center again.
This time he could barely contain his curiosity; he wanted to see the changes up close, even the entrance door had been replaced and the walls freshly painted, giving the entrance a more advanced and vibrant look.
Unlike earlier, when everything looked bleak, even from the outside the transformation was already evident.