"Of course. Why else would I describe the rewards as something you could never possibly refuse?"
"Once you realize the full value of the prize, forget forty-nine days—you would actively beg to trigger a hundred-day siege!"
Ryen offered a light, teasing laugh. Yae Miko gently nudged his shoulder, her voice carrying a sultry, aggrieved pout.
"Stop keeping us in suspense! Spit it out already! Everyone is dying to know!"
Sensing Miko's quiet, playful pressure against him, Ryen decided to abandon the charade.
He steadied his expression and spoke in a clear, measured cadence.
"Do you all remember what I mentioned earlier about the server architecture?"
The leaders nodded in unison.
"You can think of a server as the operating kernel of an advanced terminal," Ryen explained, gesturing with a hand. "Much like the Gnosis acting as the processing core that runs the Akasha Terminal."
"If the Akasha requires Buer or Nahida to administer its parameters, then Redstone Tech City—having been elevated into a designated server region—naturally requires an administrator as well."
Ningguang's eyes flashed with sudden intensity, fixing upon him with breathless expectation.
"Are you implying..."
"Precisely," Ryen smiled, nodding.
"A server demands a server administrator to configure its operational rules."
"Just as Buer governs the Akasha Terminal, introducing fresh subroutines or rewriting legacy protocols, a server administrator holds identical authority."
"The entire server belongs to them. They wield absolute dominion over its environment and can rewrite its governing parameters at will."
"In other words, the territory governed by Redstone Tech City becomes the personal jurisdiction of its designated administrators."
"This is precisely why I stated that this metropolis can finally support total civilian migration."
Seeing the lingering confusion in their expressions, Ryen paused to reframe his explanation with a concrete example.
"Let us assume, purely for the sake of illustration, that Ningguang becomes the server administrator of Redstone Tech City."
He reached out, gently taking Ningguang's hand within his own.
"Every single entity residing within Redstone Tech City—save for myself—would have its fundamental properties dictated by Ningguang."
"Flora, mortals, adepti, and even sovereign allogenes—all would fall under her administrative reach."
"She cannot arbitrarily decree life or death over your souls, but she can unconditionally redefine your existence within these borders."
"Should Ningguang declare that no individual within Redstone Tech City may wield transcendent power exceeding ordinary human limits..."
"Then the moment anyone crosses the perimeter—be it Zhongli, Lumine, a wandering zombie, or an Ender Dragon..."
"They instantly become ordinary mortals stripped of all exceptional abilities the second they step inside."
"And that is merely the baseline."
Observing the stunned silence that had gripped the room, Ryen pressed forward without breaking rhythm.
"The truly staggering reality is that as a server administrator, Ningguang essentially functions as a subordinate creation deity, a high administrator of this localized domain."
"If she dictates that Redstone Tech City shall experience no darkness, the diurnal cycle of the wider world fails to penetrate this boundary, transforming the city into a perpetual realm of endless day."
"If she dictates that every leaf and blade of grass within the walls is indestructible, even the frailest weed acquires the absolute durability of bedrock."
"Should she declare the perimeter walls entirely immutable, not even standing outside their jurisdiction and unleashing a barrage of modern nuclear ordnance could scratch a single brick."
"Do you grasp the implications?"
Ryen paused, scanning the awestruck faces before him. They had clearly begun to comprehend the terrifying scope of administrative privilege.
He offered a soft chuckle and delivered his summary.
"To put it bluntly, securing the position of server administrator means you become..."
"Subordinate deities of the creator? Entities charged with managing the fundamental laws of a designated territory?" Zhongli murmured in quiet disbelief.
Ryen nodded, a bright smile gracing his features.
"Precisely. Once you assume administrative control over Redstone Tech City, every square meter of its territory bends entirely to your will."
"The city evolves according to your collective vision. Properly configured, it becomes an absolute sanctuary of safety."
"Darkness will spawn no monsters, blocks cannot be dismantled by outside forces, and all entities must adhere strictly to the administrator's parameters."
"Even should you relocate your entire civilian populations into this realm, they will face zero hazard within these walls."
"Once we clear this trial, this location will serve as our unbreakable strategic rear echelon."
"Naturally, the exact configuration remains entirely up to your discretion."
"If an administrator elects to designate Redstone Tech City as a free-for-all combat arena, every person stepping inside will engage in indiscriminate warfare."
"Should someone fall in battle, they will bypass the need for a Totem of Undying, simply respawning safely at their designated spawn point."
"The true mechanics of Bedway warfare are realized entirely through server configuration."
Releasing Ningguang's hand, Ryen let the silence settle over the hall.
After a long, dazed pause, Zhongli rubbed his brow, a look of profound mental exhaustion crossing his features.
"The authority of a server administrator... is it not dangerously vast?"
"This grants the power to rewrite regional world laws across a boundless, infinite universe."
"Even the Heavenly Principles of Teyvat possess no such sweeping dominion."
Ryen shrugged lightly, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Now do you understand why I called this trial's reward something you could never possibly refuse?"
"From any perspective... server administration is an asset we cannot pass up."
Ningguang pressed her lips together, her eyes shining with quiet ambition.
"Once Redstone Tech City operates as an official server, it becomes our absolute sanctuary—a place where millions of our citizens can resettle without ever fearing the terrors of this world."
"There is one detail I must clarify, however... Should we activate the server now and later expand the city's borders..."
Anticipating her question, Ryen nodded with an approving smile.
"No problem at all. Provided you possess the military strength to annex adjacent territories into Redstone Tech City and clear subsequent trials, those new lands will be incorporated into the server jurisdiction."
Ningguang nodded slowly, her expression settling into a state of profound realization.
After a moment of thought, she raised a final inquiry.
"How many administrators can be assigned once Redstone Tech City achieves server status?"
Ryen glanced down at his system interface before answering.
"Three."
A collective breath of relief escaped the assembly.
A cap of three prevented absolute autocracy while ensuring efficient governance, avoiding the chaos of a fragmented administration.
Sensing the calculating glints in the eyes around the table, Ryen spoke decisively.
"The first administrator of Redstone Tech City is designated as Guizhong, as this metropolis represents the crystallization of her life's work."
Guizhong blinked in surprise before a radiant smile broke across her face, and she threw her arms around Ryen's neck.
"I knew you favored me the most!"
No objections were raised across the room. Guizhong's administrative brilliance was unrivaled, and virtually every redstone contraption powering the city bore her signature design. Placing her at the helm guaranteed optimal urban development.
"As for the remaining two seats..."
Ryen paused, sweeping his gaze across the leaders.
"They will be determined by overall contribution once the cataclysm concludes. However, selection will be restricted to Liyue personnel, as Redstone Tech City was fundamentally founded and built by Liyue."
No dissent was voiced against the condition.
Aether, fully cognizant of the immense administrative leverage a city server provided, hesitated before leaning forward to voice a pressing question.
"Mr. Ryen, aside from Redstone Tech City, will other sovereign settlements achieve server status in the future?"
At his words, Jean and the other leaders instantly sharpened their focus.
Ryen pondered the query for a moment before offering a deliberate nod.
"In all likelihood, yes. Redstone Tech City triggered this trial precisely because its civilizational density crossed a critical threshold."
"The reason your previously constructed towns did not trigger trials is likely due to their lower technological and industrial output."
"Once you upgrade those settlements with equivalent infrastructure, they will undoubtedly face similar evolutionary thresholds."
Alhaitham gave a calm, measured nod. "Understood. The mere existence of a precedent is sufficient."
Ryen continued with an essential caution.
"One critical rule to keep in mind: an administrator's operational authority is strictly bound to the geographic borders of Redstone Tech City."
"Step outside those boundaries, and your administrative privileges vanish instantly."
"Though you act as subordinate deities, your divine mandate remains strictly territorial."
"Furthermore, once the city completes its transition, I strongly advise holding a formal assembly to carefully draft your server parameters."
"Establishing an absolute safety zone should be your primary priority to ensure seamless civilian immigration and secure permanent housing."
Guizhong nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
"Leave it to me! I will ensure our administration creates an absolute utopia. This way, I truly become your primary assistant in governing this realm, don't I?"
Ryen reached out, affectionately tapping the bridge of her nose.
"Even without the title of administrator, you remain my most indispensable partner."
He paused, lowering his voice slightly as he delivered a final, profound detail.
"There is one more benefit—a hidden perk granted exclusively to administrators."
"Upon assuming the mantle, your physical existence undergoes a permanent ontological shift."
"Taking Guizhong as an example, she will permanently assimilate one-quarter of my absolute physical constitution."
"Meaning that even should she return to Teyvat, that quarter-share of my physique remains fully active within her form."
"More importantly, the anomalous nature of this world supersedes all external universal laws."
"Beyond inheriting a fraction of my strength, Guizhong will become entirely immune to aging, mortality, and the degenerative decay of Teyvat's native principles."
"Neither Teyvat nor the Imaginary Tree can ever exert sovereignty over her again."
"As a server administrator, she is permanently recognized as an indigenous entity and sovereign manager of this universe."
Hearing that revelation, Guizhong gasped softly, then launched herself directly into Ryen's arms with an exuberant cheer.
"This is incredible! Does this mean I am now completely, unconditionally yours in every sense of the word?"
Ryen chuckled, shaking his head.
"You were already mine long before administrative titles were invented."
"It is different! This is official recognition by the cosmos itself."
Guizhong beamed, burying her face happily against his shoulder.
For her, managing a localized territory was a pleasant duty, but the true prize lay elsewhere.
The universe itself had acknowledged her.
It had blessed her with an immortal existence entwined directly with Ryen's own.
That cosmic validation surpassed any bureaucratic title.
More crucially...
With a quarter-share of Ryen's absolute physique permanently integrated into her being, future intimate engagements would no longer end with her slipping unconscious after a mere hour or two.
Her endurance would scale to breathtaking new heights.
The duration of their shared joy was about to undergo a permanent, upward adjustment!