The next morning, Jaden stood at the Westside lot, waiting.
The sun had barely risen, but the heat was already creeping in. The lot looked like a graveyard for broken dreams. Burnt walls, tangled wires, and rusted steel stretched out in every direction. But Jaden could already see something else—the building his system had shown him. He could almost picture it standing tall, windows glowing at night, people living inside instead of just surviving.
Then he heard footsteps behind him.
Carl arrived, dressed in a dark hoodie and cargo pants, carrying a heavy backpack. But he wasn't alone.
With him came three others. A woman with short curly hair and oil-stained gloves. A tall man with a scar above his eyebrow and a toolbelt hanging around his waist. And a younger guy with thick glasses and a small drone hovering over his shoulder.
"This is my crew," Carl said, walking up to Jaden. "We're Ground Circuit. You called, and we came."
Jaden gave a small nod. "Thanks."
The woman stepped forward and offered a hand. "Emma. I work with smart panels and cooling systems. Heard you've got a talent for turning scrap into miracles."
Jaden smiled slightly. "Something like that."
The tall man nodded. "Name's Rick. Welding, structure work, heavy lifting."
The boy with the drone grinned. "I'm Luke. I tinker with code and AI systems. You'll need me when it's time to wire the brains of this thing."
Carl stepped in. "So, what are we building?"
Jaden opened his system and projected the 3D blueprint into the air. The crew's eyes widened. The design rotated slowly—a four-story apartment block powered by solar energy, with smart rooms, a rooftop garden, a clean water system, and even a small classroom built into the first floor.
"It's not just a place to sleep," Jaden said. "It's a place to grow."
Carl gave a low whistle. "This might be the most ambitious thing we've ever touched."
Co-builders Confirmed
Ground Circuit connected (4 team members)
Shared Progress Mode Activated
Project: AI Apartment Block (Basic)
Progress: 0% → Objective set
The system pinged.
New Side Quest Unlocked: Community Classroom
Reward: Education Hub Module
"Let's get to work," Jaden said.
The next few days were a blur of sweat, sparks, and teamwork.
Jaden worked with Rick to clear the broken beams and lay the foundation. Rick taught him how to balance metal frames and check for cracks. Emma repaired old solar panels and showed Jaden how to install them at the right angle to catch morning light. Luke set up test boards to prepare the AI chip framework and explained how the system would run water, power, and security.
Jaden soaked up every lesson like a sponge.
When they ran low on materials, the team split up. Carl and Emma scouted an old bus station and came back with steel rods and batteries. Jaden and Rick raided a collapsed tech shop for copper and wiring. Luke used his drone to scan nearby rooftops for smart glass they could reuse.
At night, they camped in tents by the lot, eating instant meals by flashlight, laughing and sharing stories.
Carl told them about the time he tried to build a windmill on a moving truck—"It spun once, then the whole roof ripped off."
Rick admitted he used to be a factory guard before he taught himself welding on the side.
Emma spoke about how she lost her younger brother to heatstroke and promised herself she'd never let another family suffer like that again.
And Luke, the youngest, confessed that he once tried to hack a vending machine to get free snacks—and accidentally shut down power to half a block.
Jaden laughed for the first time in months.
For once, he wasn't surviving alone. He was part of something. A crew. A mission.
By the fifth day, the structure had taken shape. The first two floors stood tall. Solar windows were installed. Rooms were framed and wired. The classroom space was nearly ready—Jaden had used the Education Hub Module to set up screens, whiteboards, and even a virtual AI tutor.
Children from the neighborhood began to visit. They watched from behind fences or peeked through gaps in the wall. One small boy, maybe ten, approached with wide eyes.
"Is this... a school?" he asked.
Jaden smiled. "It's going to be. Want to help test it?"
The boy nodded eagerly and sat in front of the glowing screen. The AI greeted him and started teaching basic math.
Jaden watched quietly. His chest felt warm.
He had never been a teacher.
But maybe now he was something more.
Project Progress: 65%
Main Quest Ongoing
Bonus Achievements: +1 Education Module, +50 XP, +1 Community Trust Token
Alert: External system scan detected. Unknown trace signal. Recommend caution.
Jaden frowned.
Something was watching.
And it wasn't just the people in the neighborhood.