"Boss… are we still far?"
Xue Ying's voice came from behind.
Kael didn't turn around. His steps remained steady as he parted through wild grass that rose nearly to his waist. The damp stalks brushed against his calves, leaving behind a chill that slowly seeped into his skin. The ground beneath his shoes felt soft and moist, a clear sign that this path was rarely used.
On both sides, the southern wind carried the scent of the forest. Wet soil. Old leaves. A silence that ran too deep.
Behind Kael, the Xue Ying family's pace slowed without them realizing it.
The father glanced around several times, his eyes sweeping over bushes and trees before settling back onto Kael's back. The mother walked closer to his side, her fingers gripping the edge of her husband's sleeve. They clearly wanted to ask something... but every time their lips parted, the words were swallowed back down.
Afraid to ask.
More afraid of the answer.
Kael sensed their unease without needing to look.
"Almost there," he replied briefly.
His tone was flat. Not reassuring, but not deceptive either.
Their anxiety was understandable. The Lake Lakering area was rarely visited by villagers. No fields. No houses. Even a footpath was barely visible.
And that was exactly why Kael had chosen this place.
Hidden.
They continued walking. Time passed with little conversation, only the sound of footsteps and rustling grass. After nearly thirty minutes, the trees began to thin out. Sunlight broke through more freely. The wind carried a faint but unmistakable scent of water.
Lake Lakering.
When they reached its edge, the structure finally came into view.
A massive gray cube stood silently not far from the shoreline. Its surface was smooth... too smooth for any village building. No windows. No seams. No signs of life.
It didn't look old.
It didn't look new either.
As if it simply did not belong there.
The Xue Ying family stopped almost simultaneously.
Their gazes locked onto the building.
"Husband…" the mother whispered. "What is that?"
The father slowly shook his head, his throat bobbing before he answered. "I… don't know."
He then raised a hand slightly, a silent signal to stay quiet.
Kael was an Immortal.
And that fact alone was enough to kill any question before it reached their throats. The fact that they were still alive was already fortune enough... especially after Kael had helped them.
Xue Ying, on the other hand, stared at the building longer. Her brows furrowed slightly, not from fear, but because something about it didn't make sense.
She quickened her pace, jogging lightly until she was walking beside Kael.
"Boss," she said casually, as if they weren't far from the village at all. "Are we going to work there?"
Kael glanced at her briefly, then nodded.
"Yes," he replied. "There. Let's move."
He slightly increased his pace.
Internally, Kael observed the girl.
She didn't hesitate to ask.
Nor did she show excessive submission.
Her mentality was flexible, adapting to the situation far too quickly. She spoke without distance, as if their positions were equal.
Rare.
"Are all the lucky ones like this?" Kael muttered inwardly.
He recalled the stories he used to read, those blessed by the heavens. People who adapted easily, as if the world itself bent to accommodate them.
After receiving Kael's answer, Xue Ying's curiosity only grew.
"The building is strange," she said while walking.
"Who built it?"
"And it's so small… how can we farm inside something like that?"
The questions flowed without pause.
Finally, her father reached out, gently pulling Xue Ying back by the arm. A wordless warning... afraid she might annoy Kael.
Kael didn't mind.
"I built it myself," he answered briefly.
"You'll find out later."
That was all.
He didn't stop walking.
Behind them, a quiet conversation continued in hushed voices.
"Father… are Immortal buildings really like this?" Xue Ying asked.
"No," her mother replied softly. "Immortals are extraordinary, but I've never seen a building like that."
The father shook his head, then turned to both of them.
"You two," he said quietly but firmly. He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Never underestimate an Immortal."
His gaze flicked briefly to Kael's back.
"Our boss may look young," he continued. "He may even seem weak. But Immortal techniques run deep... deeper than the ocean."
He swallowed.
"I have a feeling," he said, his voice trembling, "that our boss is a high-level Immortal in reincarnation."
Those words made both the mother and Xue Ying tense.
"A high-level Immortal."
Old images of overwhelming, irresistible power... surfaced in their minds. Their breathing shortened. Unconsciously, their steps slowed.
They lowered their heads.
And followed Kael from behind with greater obedience.
Until they finally stood directly in front of the factory.
A seamless cube, standing in stark contrast against the silent lake... alien, cold, and offering no hint of what awaited inside.
Kael turned around.
He studied their faces one by one.
Furrowed brows. Wandering gazes, searching for something... anything that could explain the structure before them. But the cube's walls remained silent, offering no clues. There was no sign that rice fields or any farming system at all were hidden inside, just as Kael had claimed.
Their confusion was obvious.
"Starting today," Kael said at last, breaking the silence, "you'll come here every morning at nine."
He paused, ensuring they were listening.
"You leave at six in the evening."
No emphasis. Just a statement of fact.
"And remember," he continued, his voice lowering, "never tell anyone this location. Understood?"
That tone was enough.
Their spines stiffened unconsciously.
They nodded almost in unison.
"Yes, Boss."
"Yes, Immortal… we won't tell anyone."
Kael nodded in satisfaction.
He scanned the surroundings... not with ordinary sight.
His awareness expanded.
Natural energy flowed out from his body, spreading softly like thin mist. In his perception, blue specks appeared one by one, floating low above the wild grass, slipping between shrubs, circling among tree trunks.
Like a swarm of light insects, obedient to his will.
No foreign fluctuations.
No hidden intent.
"Safe," Kael muttered.
He walked toward the cube's wall.
"Come."
Kael stopped directly in front of the factory. His hand rose reflexively, searching for a door handle, then he remembered.
There was none.
For a brief moment, he felt awkward.
[ Welcome, Owner ]
A thin light appeared in the air. A transparent panel flickered and the factory wall slid open silently, revealing the interior.
Behind him, the Xue Ying family froze.
Their eyes widened as the wall moved on its own. No hinges. No force. The building seemed alive.
Seeing Kael step inside without hesitation, they exchanged glances... then followed him.
But their steps halted.
Not because they hit something.
Their bodies stopped as if they had collided with an invisible barrier.
[ Unknown entities detected ]
[ Access denied ]
[ Grant entry? Y / N ]