"You're serious?" Mr. Smith looked at Vince with a steady expression. One of his eyebrows raised slightly, as if he were trying to figure out whether Vince was messing with him.
"How could I make that up on the spot?" Vince said, clearly annoyed that he even had to explain himself. He tapped through the air, fumbling for the right setting on his panel. "Let me show you this… oh, here it is."
A glowing screen lit up in front of him, and after a few quick taps, it became visible to Mr. Smith. The man studied it silently, and after a few seconds, his face shifted into something between disbelief and curiosity. This kind of ability wasn't just rare. It might not have ever shown up before.
Mr. Smith gave a quiet nod, still absorbing the information. Vince turned the panel back to private, and it vanished from sight.
"We only have a few students left who still need to awaken," Mr. Smith said. "Once we finish, we'll head toward the boss area. You'll get to see your first real fight."
He gave a slight grin, then started calling the remaining names. One by one, each student completed their awakening. When the last one was done, Mr. Smith raised his hand. Flames erupted in a wave, engulfing the nearby sand goblins and burning them into ash in seconds.
"Let's move," he said, turning and walking ahead with confidence toward the boss zone.
In the back of the group, Vince walked with Isle and Adam, a little separated from the main bunch.
"Dude, you're awesome," Adam said, throwing one arm lazily over Vince's shoulders. His voice had that casual tone, but it was real admiration.
Vince flinched slightly from the touch, but didn't shrug him off. He knew he had to make connections. No one made it alone in a world like this.
"Thanks, man. You're awesome too. You can control iron. Do you even know how much potential that has?" Vince said as he patted Adam's shoulder.
Adam let out a light laugh and gave a humble shrug. "Hah, thanks."
Vince looked over at Isle and added, "Your prime trait's cool too. I bet you'll be strong as hell later."
She smiled softly. "Thanks, Vince. You too."
After a short silence, Adam perked up again.
"How about we test out our prime traits?" he asked, sounding more curious than anything else.
Vince looked over at the terrain. It was still hot from the recent fire spells. "Sure, I'm down," he said casually.
Isle smirked and gave a nod.
Adam went first. As they walked, he raised one hand, palm down. His silver eyes lit up with a faint glow. Slowly, a sharp metallic tip formed out of the air. It expanded into a full iron blade, including the hilt, and hovered in the air beside him. The whole thing was made from solid iron, every detail polished and clean.
He slipped both hands into his pockets while the weapon floated beside him. Then, with a small movement of his fingers, the blade rose higher and began circling him like a drone. After a few seconds, he sent it flying forward. The weapon spun through the air before slamming into a patch of sand and sticking there, unmoving.
"Fuck yeah. I'm a genius," Adam grinned, throwing his fist into the air with satisfaction.
"My turn," Isle said as she passed both of them, her stride smooth and confident. Vince and Adam couldn't help but glance at her walk, something about it graceful without even trying.
She paused and let out a quiet breath. Her eyes began to glow a reddish orange. Embers sparked around her, swirling in the air. Three flaming blades formed, their shapes clear but see through, like fire given structure.
She raised her palm and the blades shot off into the sand in the distance. The moment they struck, the sand ignited and warped, turning into molten glass under the force and heat.
She let out a small hum, pleased with the result, and then flicked her wrist. The embers scattered and she walked back beside Vince like it was nothing.
Vince wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The heat was starting to wear on him. "I guess it's my turn now."
He stepped ahead of them and raised his hand. His eyes turned bright red. In the space about ten feet away, the wind started to spin violently. It pulled upward, forming a tight column that rose into a tornado.
Then the flame kicked in.
The spinning wind ignited, turning into a firestorm nearly ten feet tall. It roared with movement, sparks and ash spinning wildly.
"Woah," Adam said. He wasn't the only one watching. Most of the class behind them gasped, and even Mr. Smith looked more focused now.
Then Vince clenched his raised hand into a fist.
The fire tornado exploded outward in a massive burst. The shockwave tore through the air. Flames rushed out in every direction.
Before it could hit them, Mr. Smith raised his hand. A wall of fire surged up in front of the group, blocking the explosion from reaching anyone.
When the smoke faded, the aftermath was clear. A massive crater had been carved into the sand. Molten glass littered the ground, still steaming.
Mr. Smith turned toward Vince with a tight expression.
Vince scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah, my bad. Didn't think it was gonna be that strong."
"Just be more careful next time," Smith replied. His voice wasn't harsh, but there was a sharpness to it that made the message clear.
They walked for a while longer, moving across the desert. After several minutes, the path opened into a wide circular arena made entirely of sand. In the center sat a huge boulder, perfectly still.
The students filed into the arena one by one.
As soon as they did, the boulder began to shake. Cracks opened across its surface. The stone started to shift, and heavy slabs moved apart from one another.
The shape rose upward. Arms and legs unfolded, forming thick, strong limbs. The torso expanded and straightened. It was no longer a rock.
It had become a humanoid creature, massive and broad, its entire body formed from hard, compressed sandstone.
It was a Sand Golem.
The golem stood tall and imposing, its body completely formed from dense sandstone. It wore a thick sandstone tasset around its waist, rough and cracked like hardened earth. Slung over its shoulder was a massive double edged axe made of solid stone. The weight of it alone made the air feel heavier just from looking at it.
There was no warning.
The golem charged forward, heavy feet pounding across the sand with surprising speed for something its size. Its glowing eyes locked directly on the group of students, and it raised its axe, ready to swing and crush anything in its path.
Before it could get any closer, Mr. Smith had already stepped forward, placing himself between the golem and the class. His right arm ignited in a sudden flare of energy. The skin morphed into something beastly, turning into the powerful red striped limb of a tiger, made entirely of fire and muscle.
With one clean motion, Mr. Smith slashed horizontally toward the golem's midsection. His claws moved fast, cutting with precise, focused force. The strike landed directly at the spot where a soft yellow glow shimmered beneath the sandstone surface.
That glow was the mana core.
The tiger arm sliced through the outer rock, cracked into the hidden core, and shattered it in a single hit.
The golem's movement halted immediately. Its entire body lost shape, the limbs crumbling inward and falling apart. Sand poured down like a collapsed tower. Within seconds, the creature was gone, reduced to nothing more than a loose pile of dust and crushed stone.
Only the large stone axe remained. It dropped heavily into the sand, its blade half buried from the impact.
Not long after the fight ended, a swirling green gate shimmered into view behind them. It opened up, revealing the compound entrance where they had originally stepped into the gate. Mr. Smith gave a short nod to the students.
Without needing any instructions, the students walked through the gate in a mostly quiet and orderly line.
Once the last person stepped through, the gate closed behind them, vanishing from sight.
"Alright everyone. Is everyone satisfied?" Mr. Smith's voice rang out clearly, deep and steady as always.
A chorus of agreement came from the students as they boarded the bus. Mr. Smith stood near the doors, counting them one by one as they climbed aboard.
"And twenty. Good, that's every student," he said, then stepped inside and walked to the front of the bus.
Once the doors shut and everyone was seated, he turned to face them.
"Now, a couple announcements before we get back to school," he began, speaking in a tone that demanded attention. "First, class is dismissed as soon as we arrive. Once you step off the bus, you're free to go. Second, tomorrow you will receive your awakened licenses. This license gives you the right to register gates that you're the first to conquer. You can either put them on the market or keep them to yourself and charge people to enter."
He paused for a moment, making sure they were following.
"The license also allows limited ability usage outside of gates. Small stuff only. Self defense, simple tricks, minor utility. No causing damage to property or random power shows."
He let out a breath and continued.
"Third, after tomorrow, your high school life is officially over. From here on out, you will either enroll in an awakened college or join the military. I'll say this now. If your prime trait is weird or weak, I don't recommend military life. That's just asking for trouble."
He opened both arms slightly, as if to emphasize he wasn't trying to be cruel, just honest.
"For people like Adam, Isle, and Vince, I suggest considering the military. Either go straight into it, or spend a few years in college and then transition. You three also have the potential to aim for higher tier cities. Better opportunities, more powerful gates, and higher growth ceilings."
After that, he sat down. The engine rumbled to life and the bus started rolling forward.
In the back of the bus, Vince, Adam, and Isle leaned closer together, keeping their voices low enough not to be overheard.
"I think we should go to college first," Vince said, his eyes focused on the floor as he thought. "Level up a bit. Get more experience. If we go to the military straight away, that's just asking to get killed."
"I agree," Isle replied quickly. She looked over at Vince, meeting his eyes. "It would be a death wish to go in unprepared. Besides, if we get stronger, we could even start clearing gates on our own. Maybe make some money from it."
"Then it's settled," Adam said, reaching out and patting both their backs with a grin. "We're going to college first."
"Idiot," Isle muttered under her breath with a smirk.
—————————
After they got off the bus, the three of them walked together down the street, the sun starting to dip behind the horizon.
"Hey, let's exchange numbers. Oh, and how about we hang out later?" Adam asked, clearly excited.
"Yeah, let's exchange numbers, but we'll have to hang out tomorrow. I have to go home and check on something," Isle replied with an almost apologetic smile.
"Sure, let's hang out tomorrow," Vince said.
They exchanged numbers, and after a quick goodbye, Vince headed home alone.
His place was a one bedroom house. Small, plain, nothing fancy. He had been living off the inheritance his parents left behind. They were successful awakened, but they died on an expedition to the beast continents. Since then, he had managed to get by on what they left him.
He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, locking it out of habit. The place was still and quiet, familiar. It might not have looked like much, but it was cozy. He made his way to his room, dropped onto the bed, and stared up at the ceiling.
It had been one hell of a day.
He had died. Actually died. Seen some version of heaven and hell. Been reincarnated. Awakened. Made friends. It was all happening so fast it barely felt real.
Before he could doze off, a soft chime echoed from his panel. A system notification.
He blinked and pulled it up. The panel opened, showing his normal stat display. But then he noticed something new. A tab on the side that hadn't been there before.
Curious, he clicked it.
A whole new interface unfolded in front of him.
(Golden Finger done loading. The Gate King System has now been activated.)
(System main functions include: Gate Creation Dimension, SP earned from people killing monsters in your gate, SP earned from killing monsters, Gate Creation Cost, Shop)
"I forgot that when you get reincarnated, you get a golden finger," he mumbled.
Just from the name and those system functions, he had a pretty good idea of what this thing could do, but he still wanted to be sure.
"System, explain exactly what you let me do."
(The system helps the host create gates. That's the gist of it. You can place the gate wherever you want and use it however you want. Some things will cost SP, like creating the gate itself. You can get SP by killing monsters. There's more, but that's the basics.)
"Right. So I can create gates now…" Vince trailed off, then sat up fast. "Holy shit. I can make a fucking monopoly of gates."
He was practically shaking from the excitement, but forced himself to calm down. There would be time to plan later.
"Don't I get like a starter package or something?" he asked.
(Gift package has been rewarded. You have received: Free Tier 1 Gate Creation, Imagination Boost Card, and one free building skill of your choice. The first use is free; afterward, SP will be required.)
Vince paused for a second.
"Imagination boost? That's kind of insulting. My imagination is already top tier."
Still, he didn't complain. He claimed the rewards. The moment he activated the Imagination Boost, he felt a strange pressure in his head, like the ceiling of his mind had suddenly stretched upward. Ideas rushed in all at once, some wild, some brilliant.
After a few seconds, the sensation faded. He let out a deep breath and leaned back on his bed.
There was no way he was building a gate right now. He didn't even have the power or backup to protect it.
"System, what exactly is the free building skill?" he asked.
(You can create a custom skill that helps you build structures. The first time using this skill will be free. After that, you'll need to spend SP. This is a gift from the system, so please enjoy it.)
"Tuh, you don't have to tell me twice," he muttered. "Alright then, make me a building skill that lets me imagine whatever structure I want, and it'll automatically construct it fully connected to internet, plumbing, electricity, everything."
(Free building skill has been registered. You have received the skill: Architect's Will.)
Vince grinned.
"Now we're talking, I can work with this now, oh my imagination is running wild, I'll do this low key for now" Vince said rubbing his hands together with an evil grin.
The next day, Vince walked into class. The morning sunlight poured through the windows, casting warm streaks across the room. As he made his way to his usual seat by the window, the light spilled across his skin, giving him a moment of calm before the day really began.
He dropped into his chair, letting out a small sigh, and rested his arms on the desk.
A minute later, Adam slid into the seat next to him.
"Yo, what's up man? Your day been good so far?" Vince asked with a casual tone, glancing over.
Adam stretched a little and gave a half smirk. "I mean, it just started, didn't it? Guess we'll have to find out. Who knows, maybe I'll finally find myself a girl or something."
Vince let out a short laugh.
Adam looked the part of a guy who didn't struggle much. He had golden blond hair that almost glowed under the sunlight, a sharp jawline, and silver eyes that always seemed to catch people's attention. On top of that, he was tall, muscular, and naturally athletic. It made sense that his strength and durability stats were already a little higher than both Isle's and Vince's.
(Picture Here If You Want To See)
"Speaking of girlfriends," Adam said, tilting his head slightly, "do you have one?"
Vince shook his head slowly. "No. I've never really had the time to focus on a girl before. Too much going on. But maybe now I could…"
Before he could finish his thought, another voice cut in.
"Maybe now you could what?"
They both looked up as Isle slid into the seat beside them, setting her bag down and adjusting her hair as she got comfortable.
Adam smirked immediately. "Oh, nothing," he said, dragging the words out playfully. "Vince was just saying that he used to have too much going on to get a girlfriend. But now, who knows? Maybe he's ready to find one."
Isle's cheeks tinted with a soft pink as she glanced toward Vince. "Oh… well, that's good."
Adam raised his brows, clearly trying not to laugh. "That's a good thing?" he asked, grinning like he already knew the answer.
Before he could push it any further, Isle punched the top of his head with just enough force to get the point across. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath as she stood up and moved around to sit next to Vince instead.
Vince broke into laughter, clutching his chest and pointing at Adam. "Hah! That's what you get!"
"Tch, whatever…" Adam crossed his arms and looked away with a huff.
Vince chuckled, then turned to Isle. "So… how was your uhhh… night?" He'd been about to say day, but caught himself, realizing like Adam said, the day had only just begun.
"It was good," Isle replied with a soft smile. "I got to eat some top grade crab. It was pretty good." Her eyes drifted as she seemed to get lost in the memory, the taste clearly still lingering in her mind.
"Cool," Vince said, leaning back in his chair and letting out a satisfied sigh. He felt good today. The air was calm, the sunlight warm. Things felt like they were falling into place.
"So how was your night?" Isle asked, resting her chin in her palm as she looked at him.
Vince smirked. "Pretty chill. I ended up falling asleep while watching that new movie that just came out."
"The horror one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded.
She immediately shuddered in her seat. She hadn't watched it yet, but she'd heard plenty. For a horror movie to scare people in a world already filled with monsters and creepy shit, it had to be something seriously disturbing.
"How the hell did you do it, man?" Adam said from the side. "I barely made it through the prologue."
Before Vince could answer, the classroom door opened and Mr. Smith strode in. His black hair swayed with every step, and his sharp red eyes swept across the room with that same commanding presence.
(Picture Here If You Want To See)
"Alright everyone," he said bluntly, "I'm getting straight to it today. I've got somewhere to be in…" he raised his wrist and checked his watch, "twenty minutes. So let's move fast."
The class straightened up as he continued.
"First thing, reach into your desks and grab your Awakened Licenses."
Everyone reached down and pulled out their licenses. But that wasn't all. Alongside each license was a knife.
Mr. Smith nodded. "Those knives are yours to keep. Think of it as a gift, my way of saying thanks for being the best class I've ever taught."
There were a few surprised looks, but no one argued.
"Second," he continued, "when you get home tonight, you'll receive a message. Either through mail, or on your phone, or maybe both. You'll have to make your choice: college, or military. Once you choose, you've got two months before you're off."
The classroom went quiet as the weight of that decision sank in.
"Third," he said, now walking toward the door, "if any of you ever need to find me for whatever reason, I'll be in the Tier 6 city, Valkyrie."
He stopped at the doorway, giving the room one last look.
"That's all. Class dismissed. I had a great time teaching you all… I gotta go."
And with that, he was gone.
Vince sat in silence for a moment, absorbing it all. Then he picked up the knife and the license and slipped both into his pocket.
He stood, turning to Adam and Isle. "I'm heading to my place. You two wanna come with? I've got something incredible to tell you."
Adam clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hell yeah, we were supposed to hang out anyway."
Isle hesitated, glancing away. "Uh… you sure it's okay if I come over? I've never really been inside a guy's house before."
"Yeah, it's fine," Vince said, waving off her worry. "Trust me, you're gonna want to hear this."
With that, the three of them gathered their things and headed out of the classroom, walking together towards Vince's house.
When they got to the house and walked in, the air smelled like Vince. A good kind of smell, clean and familiar. The TV was still on, playing quietly in the background, casting flickering light across the living room.
"This is a cozy place. I like it," Adam said as he dropped onto the couch.
"Thanks. I tried my best," Vince replied, taking a seat beside him.
Isle sat down next to Vince, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "So… what did you have to tell us?"
"Uhhh… so look, right," Vince started, then quickly scrambled for a lie. He couldn't tell them everything, he wasn't that stupid…i don't think.
"Yesterday, after we split up, I found an ancient artifact. And when I touched it, it disappeared."
He paused, making sure they were following. "Then I heard a notification in my panel, and it gave me a skill. One that lets me build any type of building I want. Instantly."
He wasn't about to tell them he could make gates. That kind of thing could cause a global uproar if it got out. He'd just say the gates might spawn more often inside his buildings or something vague like that if anyone ever asked.
They both froze, staring at him as the weight of his words sank in.
It sounded unbelievable, but in their world, it wasn't. Everyone had heard stories about rare artifacts granting unique secondary skills.
"And why are you telling us this?" Isle asked, tilting her head slightly. She was just curious. Nothing more.
Adam nodded beside her.
"Well, I wanted to start something. I don't know what to call it yet, but I want to start it. You could call it a business, an organization, or a group."
"And what will it do?" Adam asked as he scratched his chin.
"You'll have to find out. Are you in or not?" Vince leaned back with a smirk and crossed his arms.
"I mean, I kinda have to, don't I? We're going to college together and the military, so I guess we're best buddies for life now," Adam said, scratching his head before patting Vince on the shoulder.
"Me too. I'm in. Besties forever," Isle added, fist bumping both of them.
"Alright then. It's settled. Now let's get to work. First, Adam, go find a big table with a flat surface. Second, Isle, go find a pencil and a marker. We're going to design the building. I need a clear image in my head before I can use the skill. Oh, and I can't just make infinite buildings. I need to, uh… recharge the skill. Yeah. Recharge it. Now go."
He wasn't lying. Technically, he needed to kill monsters to use the skill again so "recharge" was a fair way to put it.
Isle left to grab the drawing supplies. Adam returned five minutes later carrying a big, flat table with a glare like he had just conquered a mountain to get it.
Vince had already gone out and bought the large sheet of paper they'd need. He wasn't going to half ass this. If this was the first free building, he was going all in.
They worked all afternoon on the design, Later that day, they were all gathered around the table, leaning over the building design they had worked on for hours. The plan they settled on was a bunker style structure, low profile but solid.
Vince rubbed the back of his neck as he stared down at the blueprint.
"So uh… where are we actually gonna build this thing? I mean we could just do it here for now, right? But, aren't we supposed to move to a higher tier city once we level up more and get stronger?"
Isle crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, resting her chin on her palm.
"No, we can build it here. It's fine. You can always make more later when we get stronger or richer or whatever. And if we don't want to deal with it, we can just have someone manage this one. Like an actual manager. Doesn't that make sense?"
Adam looked between the two of them and raised an eyebrow.
"So we're really about to do this in this city? Like right now?"
Vince crossed his arms, eyes scanning the blueprint again.
"I guess so. Yeah. We don't need to wait forever."
Sunlight poured across the table from the nearby window, casting warm rays over the rough sketch. The design wasn't perfect, but the skill would smooth everything out as long as he had the layout in his head.
Adam leaned forward, squinting.
"Alright but where are we gonna put it exactly? Like, what's the actual spot?"
Vince thought for a second, then snapped his fingers.
"There's a dead end alleyway right next to my house. It doesn't really get used for anything, and it's kinda tucked away. I think it could work."
Isle frowned as she tapped her finger against the table.
"No. That wouldn't work. The building might mess with the underground pipelines, wouldn't it? And the entrance would be way too obvious. Think about it. A new door randomly showing up in an alleyway? People are gonna be curious. That's not subtle at all."
Vince raised a brow and shrugged.
"I mean, I can just camouflage the entrance. I'll throw up some fake bricks in front of the door and make it so you gotta push the right one to reveal the real entrance. Like some old school secret base type thing."
Adam nodded slowly but looked unsure.
"And what about the pipelines? You know, the plumbing, internet, all that stuff. You sure it won't screw anything up?"
Vince pointed at the blueprint confidently.
"My skill takes care of that. It automatically connects everything. Pipelines, internet, whatever else a building needs. As long as I use the skill, it should all be working by the time it's done."
Isle let out a deep breath and placed the last draft of the design onto the table with both hands.
"Alright then. It should be ready. Get the building in your head and let's go check the spot."
She stood up and handed him the blueprint. Vince grabbed it and the three of them left the house together. They walked down the block until they reached the alleyway beside his house, stopping in front of the brick wall at the end.
Vince closed his eyes for a second and imagined the entire design in his mind as clearly as he could. He pictured every hallway, every floor, and every little detail.
'System, use the skill Architect's Will' he thought firmly.
(Using the skill Architect's Will… the skill has been used successfully. The building is now in place, with everything functioning and all equipment installed.)
Vince opened his eyes and looked at the wall. Nothing had changed. It looked exactly the same as it always had. Just a plain brick wall.
He stepped forward and started pressing on individual bricks one at a time, feeling for the hidden trigger he programmed.
Isle squinted and tilted her head as she watched him from a few steps back.
"What the hell is he doing right now?"
Adam shrugged as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"I think he's trying to find the secret door or something. He didn't really say how it worked."
After a few more attempts, Vince finally pressed the right brick. The fake wall shifted, and the bricks separated with a quiet hum. Behind them was a sleek, high tech door with a fingerprint panel and a glowing red scanner.
The scanner beeped and quickly scanned Vince's face. A soft click followed, and the door slid open smoothly.
Isle and Adam stared in silence for a second before quickly collecting themselves and following Vince inside. The door led to an elevator, simple and minimal. Only two buttons sat on the panel. Up and down.
Vince pressed the down button. The doors closed and the elevator started moving. The walls were glossy white, lit with strips of cool blue lights. A soft breeze from the built in fan made the ride feel oddly comfortable.
Adam looked around, visibly impressed.
"Oh shit, this thing actually works. Hahahaha. Yo. We're rich. This is legit."
The elevator dinged softly, and the doors slid open.
They stepped onto a curved balcony that overlooked the entire first floor of the bunker. It wasn't just a floor though. It was a full on nightclub. Blue and red lights pulsed in rhythm with the beat of the music. Holographic visuals flickered across the walls, already active as if the place had been open for weeks.
Isle grinned wide and rushed toward the railing.
"My god. It's a club. Vince, it's the actual club. I can't believe this worked."
She looked over the scene in awe. The club was her idea, and she designed it, so seeing it brought to life made her light up with excitement.
Adam waved her off and jogged toward the stairs.
"Forget the club. I wanna see the floor I designed. Where's that office? That's what I wanna check out."
Vince and Isle followed him down the steps. They reached the manager's office, which was styled with clean white walls and gold trimmed tiles. Adam stepped behind the manager's desk and crouched down. He pulled a lever underneath, triggering a hidden mechanism. A panel slid open, revealing another elevator.
The three of them stepped in again and this time hit the button for the second floor, and the elevator door closed and started going down, air hitting their face.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal a skybox with a stunning view. Through the massive glass windows, they looked down on an enormous colosseum. It was the size of two football stadiums, with rows of seats wrapping all around and four large entrances on the ground floor.
Vince walked to the glass and looked down in awe.
"Why the hell did you make it this big? This thing is massive."
Adam smirked and adjusted his collar, clearly proud of himself.
"Hah… that's what she said. Nah but for real, if we're gonna host fights or events or whatever, we might as well go all out. Imagine packing the whole city in here. It's gonna be insane."
He turned and started heading down the stairs toward the control room.
"Come on. I wanna test the floating seats and terrain features, oh and the physical AI holographs. I need to know if all that stuff actually works."
Isle rolled her eyes and followed him with Vince.
"Sure, idiot. You probably just threw a bunch of random features in and hoped for the best. I doubt you even knew if that stuff existed."
They reached the control room directly beneath the skybox. Adam stepped in and hit a glowing button labeled desert.
In seconds, the floor of the colosseum transformed. Sand spread out in every direction. The lighting dimmed slightly, and the temperature rose to match the new environment. Everything except the outer walls and seating remained untouched.
Isle blinked and then turned to Vince.
"Alright, let him play with this for a while. Let's check out the third floor."
She grabbed Vince's wrist and pulled him away toward the elevator again. As they ran, she shouted back over her shoulder.
"Adam, we'll be on the third floor for a while."
Adam didn't respond. He was too focused, too locked in, completely immersed in his new creation.