The air of the first floor had changed. It was subtle at first—the wind carrying the faint scent of soil and trees, the distant sound of footsteps echoing across empty streets—but it was unmistakable. Life had begun to stir.
Lin Xuan stood at the edge of one of the small villages he had designated for the first human residents. The man he had recruited earlier now walked beside him, guiding his family across the town square. Children ran ahead, laughing as they explored the empty houses, their parents carefully placing tools, clothing, and supplies inside. Even small furniture had been moved in, giving the first floor a sense of habitation that it had never known.
"This is… perfect," Lin Mei's voice whispered from the family's side, eyes wide as she watched the humans settle in. "It finally feels like a home."
Lin Xuan's gaze swept across the village, noting the details. Each building occupied, each farm patch tilled, each pond stocked with fish—every small act of habitation fed the Tower subtly, invisibly. One thousand humans, two thousand animals and plants combined, and even the smallest insects counted toward his growing power. But no one outside could sense it.
The process was painstaking. For the next fifteen days, Lin Xuan moved like a shadow. At dawn, he would leave the floating island, traveling across nearby villages and forests, careful to avoid prying eyes—Zhao Kai's gaze and the government's enforcement patrols were constant threats. He sought the unassuming: the weak, the overlooked, those who had failed awakening and were quietly surviving.
To them, he offered a simple promise: safety, shelter, and food, away from the relentless bloodshed of the outside world. No mention of the Tower's powers. No hint of his growth. Just trust, sealed with a blood pact before entry.
Families arrived hesitantly, stepping into the vast first floor with cautious awe. Lin Xuan guided them, showing each village, the rivers, the forests, and the small pond in the center of the island. "You are free here," he said softly. "Build, farm, explore, live. This is your home… as long as the pact holds."
The first humans quickly began settling. Families moved in household items, tools, and supplies, furnishing empty homes that had waited silently for life. Gardens were planted, animals guided to pastures, fish released into ponds. Bees and insects spread among flowers. Rivers teemed with fish, and trees provided shade and fruit.
By the end of the fifteen days, the first floor had transformed. No longer empty, it now felt alive:
Humans: scattered across villages, tending farms, learning to cooperate. The total population had reached one thousand.
Animals & Plants: carefully chosen, balanced, and thriving, equivalent to two thousand humans in feedback value.
Insects: bees, small colonies, and harmless critters now populated the forests and gardens.
Lin Xuan observed silently from a hilltop, watching as children played along the rivers, parents worked in fields, and the first small community began to hum with life. Every movement, every breath, every planted tree fed subtly back into him. His mind shimmered faintly—the Tower acknowledging the growth, imperceptible yet undeniable.
He walked among the villagers, explaining gently what they could do, what they could cultivate, and where they could settle. Yet, despite their integration into this new world, he never revealed his own power. To them, he was merely a guide, a protector—a quiet presence who had brought them to safety.
The first floor was no longer a barren land. It had become a living world, vibrant with color, movement, and hope. Lin Xuan's pulse thrummed faintly, the Tower feeding, growing, responding. And yet, to the outside world—Zhao Kai, the academy, the government—nothing had changed. The honorary student with the "broken artifact" still seemed powerless, still mocked as an F-class failure.
Let them mock. Let them remain blind. My Tower grows, and so will I… silently, invisibly.
And as night fell, lanterns flickered across the villages, rivers reflected the artificial moon, and the wind carried the soft hum of life—alive and thriving under Lin Xuan's watchful gaze.
The underground floor was quiet, a soft hum of wind passing through the small village hut. Lin Xuan had been monitoring the first floor from his private interface, watching the newly settled families adjust to their homes, tending gardens, and guiding animals. Life had begun to take shape, yet the Tower had another surprise waiting for him.
A faint shimmer appeared in his interface, an unexpected menu he had not noticed before: "Resident Teleportation Tattoos."
Curious, he leaned closer. The Tower explained itself silently, feeding into his mind without words: each resident could be granted a tattoo, a small mark on their skin. Not decorative—functional. Once imprinted, it allowed the person to leave the Tower freely, yet the mark would always ensure their return. Teleportation, bound to the Tower's space.
Lin Xuan blinked. So… even if they leave the Tower for the outside world, they remain connected, safe, and cannot reveal secrets… clever.
As he studied the new function, another option appeared: "Projection of Your Will." The interface shimmered, showing the contours of his own face as it could project across the sky of any selected floor. A form of announcement or live communication, broadcast directly to the residents below.
A plan sparked in his mind. He could organize the first floor more efficiently now, without traveling constantly, and without revealing any secret of his powers or the Tower's inner mechanics.
Lin Xuan activated the projection. Across the first floor, in every village square and riverbank, his face shimmered above the horizon, glowing faintly in the sky like a divine apparition.
"Residents of the first floor," his voice boomed gently but firmly, carried clearly across the expanse. "You have been granted the Tower's mark—your tattoos. This mark allows you to leave and return safely. Use it wisely, but remember, it is your bond with this Tower and this land."
Murmurs ran through the villagers. Some stared upward, shielding their eyes. Others whispered to neighbors, curiosity and awe coloring their expressions.
Lin Xuan continued, his tone warm but commanding. "I also have another task for you. Help your home grow. Gather plants, animals, insects. Expand the forests, stock the rivers, cultivate farms. And if you encounter people who could thrive here, guide them to me. The Tower will test their intent—only those who affirm their loyalty through a blood pact may settle here. This is for the safety of all, including you."
From the floating hut on the underground floor, Lin Xuan turned to his family. "You," he said softly, motioning toward them on the small computer interface, "will manage the confirmations. When new settlers arrive, you will verify their pact and approve them for residency. The Tower will give you administrative privileges. I don't have time to oversee every detail, so you will act as administrators."
His parents and siblings nodded, eyes wide with understanding. The weight of responsibility pressed lightly on them, yet they accepted. This was a trust they had already pledged, and Lin Xuan's silent confidence gave them courage.
Lin Xuan's projection continued. "The first floor is our home, our sanctuary. Make it alive, safe, and thriving. Work together, protect each other, and the Tower will flourish with you. I will be guiding you… always."
The villagers looked at one another, a mix of awe and respect washing over them. Many had no idea of the depth of what was happening, but the trust in the young man's eyes, and the visible, divine projection, left no room for doubt.
Lin Xuan deactivated the projection, feeling a faint pulse in his mind. Each human, each animal, each insect that was introduced, each pact formed—all of it would feed back to him, imperceptibly, invisibly. And now, with administrative powers delegated to his family, he could focus on training, exploring the Tower, and planning the next stages of recruitment.
From the small hut, Lin Mei adjusted the first floor monitoring grid, confirming that the new families were integrating, adding newly captured animals to forests, and noting potential human settlers who had passed the Tower's silent affirmation test. Lin Xuan watched quietly, a small smile forming.
Step by step… the Tower grows. And so do I.
The wind rustled through the sparse trees of the underground floor, carrying with it the faint hum of life—and the silent, invisible pulse of power surging within Lin Xuan.