Kael turned around.
He saw Xue Ying's family standing at the threshold, their hands half-raised in reflex, confusion written clearly across their faces. The air in front of them looked completely normal, yet an absolute barrier was undeniably there.
Interesting.
Kael hadn't expected the system to have a feature like this.
Good.
A function like this meant he wouldn't have to worry about intruders or spies.
He selected Allow.
The barrier vanished without a sound.
"You can come in now," he said.
Only then did they step forward.
The moment the father's foot touched the factory floor...
He stopped.
His body froze instantly.
A faint white glow seeped out from his skin, like thin mist caught within his pores. His eyes widened, his breath locked in his chest. His lips parted slightly, yet no sound emerged.
His wife and Xue Ying froze as well.
They felt something strange... lightheadedness, warmth spreading through their chests, as if the air inside the factory was fundamentally different from the outside. Still, their reaction was far weaker than the father's.
"Father?"
"Husband?"
They were about to step closer...
"Don't," Kael said.
His voice was calm, but firm.
He gestured for them to step back.
In Kael's vision, faint blue particles appeared around the man's body. Not many. Not bright. But stable... slowly rotating, blending seamlessly with the ambient energy in the air.
Enlightenment.
Kael's thoughts drifted to the past.
To the moment he had first built this factory. To when the system had given him the Qi Gathering pill. To the transformation that had elevated him from an ordinary human into a cultivator.
"This system…" he muttered. "It's not normal."
The effect was far too real.
It could even influence the bodies of Skyland's native inhabitants, without training, without preparation.
"Boss…" Xue Ying's voice trembled as she took half a step forward. "What's happening to my father?"
Her mother stared at Kael, eyes filled with anxiety, fingers tightly clenched together.
Kael looked at the man who was still frozen in place.
"There's no need to worry."
His tone was casual.
He didn't explain further, not because he didn't want to, but because he himself didn't fully understand the cultivation system of this world. What was happening to the man wasn't something Kael had calculated. It was a side effect of something even the system itself he had yet to fully comprehend.
The father's enlightenment didn't last long.
Less than two minutes.
The white glow enveloping his body gradually faded. His breathing resumed, his chest rising and falling in a normal rhythm. His eyelids trembled... then opened.
He looked around, dazed.
The smooth ceiling. The evenly distributed white light without any visible source. The air, lighter than the world outside.
When his gaze finally landed on Kael, his body tensed.
The man immediately dropped to his knees.
The motion was fast, pure reflex, as if his body had understood something before his mind could catch up.
"Noble Immortal," he said loudly. His voice trembled, yet remained firm. "Thank you for opening a path for me."
His head bowed deeply.
This wasn't mere respect, it was absolute submission, like a subordinate who had already entrusted his life to another.
Kael fell silent for a moment.
He looked at the man, then glanced at Xue Ying and her mother standing stiffly to the side. Their eyes were wide, their breathing shallow, clearly unable to fully grasp what had just occurred.
Kael raised one hand slightly.
"Stand," he said.
The tone was light. Almost casual.
The man stood up immediately, without hesitation.
Kael looked at the three of them.
"You've seen it yourselves," he continued. "Working for me will bring benefits. Don't waste this opportunity."
There was no threat in his words. No persuasion.
Only a statement of fact.
After that, Kael turned and walked toward the reception desk at the center of the room. A flat monitor above it was already lit, reflecting a soft glow.
Xue Ying's family followed behind him, their steps slow and cautious.
Their gazes wandered constantly.
White, flame-less lights hung neatly from the ceiling. Several oddly shaped chairs were arranged in a corner, neither wood nor any metal they recognized. In front of the reception desk, two small flower pots stood symmetrically, their leaves fresh and green, as if they'd just been watered.
On the right side, a transparent glass wall separated a small room. Inside were a table and two chairs facing each other.
Xue Ying swallowed.
"Father…" she whispered. "What kind of place is this?"
The man slowly shook his head, eyes still fixed on the surroundings. "This… feels like another world."
They turned slowly, afraid to touch anything, yet unable to hide their awe. For them, this was a first, an interior space that resembled neither a house, nor a hall, nor any immortal structure they'd ever heard of.
Behind the reception desk, Kael observed them patiently.
He remembered feeling the same way once.
The first skyscraper he had seen in his previous life. City lights. Enclosed spaces that felt too orderly for a wild world.
A thought crossed his mind.
What if he built a hundred-story building in this world?
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Interesting," he murmured.
He refocused as Xue Ying stepped up to the desk, looking at him with sparkling eyes.
"Boss," she said with a small smile. "This place feels very comfortable. And cool."
For a brief moment, the shadow of their previous suffering seemed to evaporate. No debt. No threats. Only pure amazement.
"Of course," Kael replied.
His smile was faint, but genuine. He found himself starting to like this simple family... not only because they were valuable assets, but because they worked without pretense.
"Everyone, come here," Kael said. "I'll register you as my employees starting today."
The monitor in front of him changed.
An employee registration form appeared.
Kael started with Xue Ying.
"Sit here," he said, pointing to the chair in front of the desk.
"Yes, Boss," Xue Ying replied quickly.
She sat down enthusiastically, occasionally glancing at the glass-walled room nearby.
Kael began entering the data.
"Name."
"Xue Ying."
"Age."
"Nineteen."
"Residence."
"Outer area of Claudoria Village."
The questions were simple. No pressure. No traps.
After the final field was filled, Kael stared at the screen for a moment.
Then he pressed the only remaining button.
Send Invitation.
He frowned slightly.
Invitation?
Before he could think further, a notification appeared.
[ Invitation successfully created.
Please retrieve the invitation from the drawer below. ]
Kael instinctively looked down.
Beneath the reception desk, a small slot opened, and a sheet of paper slowly slid out.
Kael froze for a moment.
"Printer?" he muttered.
He didn't remember ever seeing such a device before.
Kael picked up the paper.
White. A4-sized. The text written on it wasn't in any language he recognized... yet somehow, every word was perfectly clear in his mind.
[Invitation Letter]
To: Xue Ying
Subject: Invitation to Work
From: Kael