Several days had passed since Arven finished constructing Floor 0. Every morning, he would wake up in his small wooden cabin, brew coffee with water from a small river he had created using his class ability. He walked around the wheat fields and vegetable gardens, which were beginning to yield harvest. The sky was beautiful and blue, streaked with white clouds. And yet, amidst all of it... Arven felt something was missing. Something he couldn't create with effects or layers alone. A living creature.
"This feels like just a world… but without any life in it," he muttered, gazing at the sunset sky.
He could survive off his crops, but that wasn't enough. His heart longed for more—not just for survival, but to truly feel this world. He wanted to create a cycle, the sound of breath, and the presence of other beings on this floor.
And of course… meat.
"If I could just get chickens or cows here… I could make satay, rendang, rawon, and steak!" he exclaimed with excitement.
He remembered his past life on Earth—specifically in the city of Surabaya—where he survived on instant noodles with barely enough water, working 20 hours non-stop without any guarantee of being paid. In a world turned upside down by the Tower's emergence, good food was a luxury.
Now, Arven has found a new goal.
To capture living creatures from the Tower and bring them to Floor 0.
Tower of Architect – Gate to Floor 1
The gate connecting Floor 0 to Floor 1 slowly opened, glowing with blue light. Arven stepped through wearing a black cloak and a mask over his mouth, intending to remain unnoticed while capturing animals from this floor.
As the light from the gate faded, he stepped into a new world.
Floor 1.
A lush forest stretched endlessly. The air was humid with the scent of damp earth and rustling leaves. Silver birds flew overhead, and tiny creatures darted through the underbrush.
Arven stood in awe. "So... there really is life inside the Tower…"
"Hey! You just got here too?"
The voice came from the left. A blonde man in light armor waved at him. Behind him stood two women—one an archer, the other a fire mage—watching Arven cautiously.
Arven nodded. "Yeah. This is my first time entering the Tower. I'm alone."
The archer eyed his cloak with suspicion. "What's your Class? Hmph, newbies usually come in groups. Why are you alone?"
"Haha, this is my first time, so I didn't know we needed to form a party to enter. Besides, I don't have a combat-type class. I'm just a farmer looking to herd some livestock on this floor." Arven replied casually.
The three exchanged glances, then laughed.
"Wow, that's a new one!" said the fire mage. "You're a farmer class, and you came here just to herd livestock?"
"I'm looking for chickens and a few other animals—ones that can be eaten or raised," said Arven.
The group went silent, staring at him in confusion.
"...Chickens?" they said in unison. Usually, a herder sought cattle or oxen, but here he was, looking for chickens.
Before Arven could explain, the ground trembled. From behind a massive tree, a Ravestag—a deer-like creature with crystal antlers and a glowing body—emerged with a low roar.
The three Ascenders immediately readied themselves.
"Standard formation! Let's capture it" shouted their leader, but Arven was already gone from the area, casually walking ahead. He ignored the trio entirely—too focused on finding chickens.
Over the next few hours, Arven explored a portion of the forest alone. Eventually, he found some animals and began approaching them. Using a combination of Copy and Paste, he duplicated several small creatures he encountered—a purple chicken, a horned rabbit, and even a mini-buffalo with a fiery fur coat.
He rendered each one carefully, ensuring they could survive on Floor 0 without biological errors.
As night fell and Arven prepared to return to Floor 0 to begin his livestock farm, he unexpectedly encountered a bizarre monster—a giant grasshopper, about 2–3 meters tall.
"Ugh, great, it's nighttime... But what kind of monster is this? A grasshopper? And it's huge—like 3 meters tall?" Aria muttered in both annoyance and surprise at the creature.
Then Arven raised his hand and opened a virtual panel.
[Cut (Lv.1)] – Target: Rear right leg
Click.
The creature's leg appeared to be severed cleanly, and blood spurted from its rear leg. The Grasshopper slipped, and in frustration, Aria repeatedly activated Cut (Lv.1) to slice the monster further. It died without resistance, even pleading in its final moments not to be tortured.
Arven left the forest and returned to Floor 0.
But the trio from earlier suddenly arrived at the scene just after the battle.
They were stunned.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?!" the archer shouted in disbelief.
The mage examined the grasshopper's body—it had been cut so precisely, like with a sword or scalpel.
"This… this must've been an Ascender with a high-tier Class."
Their leader stepped forward, intrigued. "Hmph… Seems like the world's about to get a shake-up with someone like that around."
Back to Floor 0
"Now, Floor 0 will truly come alive," Arven said with excitement, eager to begin his livestock farming—and finally eat some meat.
He reappeared in the middle of his custom-made world.
Opening the Paste panel, then Layer Adjust, he tweaked temperature, humidity, and environment settings to match the animals' habitats. One by one, the creatures materialized—running, chirping, roaming free.
For the first time, Floor 0 wasn't just a field, a home, and a sky.
It was a real and living world.
A system notification appeared:
[Registered Zone Upgrade]
• Floor 0 now contains Native Flora and Fauna
• World Stability: 78% → 91%
• Class Progress: 24% → 37%
• New Skills Unlocked:
– Replicate (Lv.1): Store a creature or object in the database for future recreation.
– Ecosystem Control (Lv.1): Synchronize world conditions with the biological cycles of living beings.
Arven smiled as he stroked a curled-up purple chicken in his arms.
"Now this... is a proper meal."
And the world began to pulse—not just as a space...
But as a home.