Chapter 3: A New Light

The rooftop was quiet again, but this time, it felt different. Jaden sat near the solar grid he had just built. It still hummed softly, storing energy from the early morning sun. The wind was calm, and the city below was slowly waking up. From the rooftop, he could see Sector 12 clearly. For the first time in weeks, lights still glowed in windows even after the sun rose. The people down there had power. They had hope. Jaden took a deep breath. Level 2 Achieved New Blueprint Unlocked: Smart Cooling Shelter New Feature: Project Planner He tapped the floating screen in front of him. A new design appeared—white walls, fans on both sides, a curved roof with solar panels, and water tanks along the back wall. The system spoke in his mind: Smart Cooling Shelter: A building made for extreme heat. Solar-powered fans, clean water storage, and climate control. Safe space for families, children, and elderly. Jaden studied the blueprint. He remembered the heat waves last summer. Kids had passed out. Some had nosebleeds. He remembered an old man who had died in his sleep from the heat. If he could build this shelter, he could stop that from happening again. Materials Needed: 30 heat-resistant panels 5 solar-powered fans 2 water tanks 15 metal frames 1 temperature controller He took a sip of water, packed his bag, and left for the junkyard again. This time, the search took longer. He found scrap metal and broken fan blades easily. Water tanks were harder. He spotted one inside an abandoned food truck and dragged it out by hand. He found the temperature controller inside a damaged security drone, hidden under burnt circuit boards. His fingers were scraped, his shirt torn, but he didn’t care. By the time he returned, it was dark again. He opened the Project Planner in his system. Step by step, it guided him. He placed the metal frames. He added the panels. He screwed in the fans, wired the tanks, and locked the controller into the wall unit. The system showed him how to test airflow and connect it to the rooftop solar grid. It took two days. When it was done, the shelter stood like a glowing pod. The fans turned slowly, cool air flowing out. The inside was clean and calm. He opened the door. One by one, families entered. A woman with two babies. A boy carrying his grandmother. A group of kids laughing as they felt the cold air on their faces. "This is amazing," someone whispered. "Who built this?" another asked. Jaden stood by the door, silent. He didn’t need to say anything. The people already knew. Quest Complete +1 Blueprint: AI Apartment Block (Basic) +150 XP +1 Build Token New Title Unlocked: Community Architect Jaden read the next blueprint title. "AI Apartment Block?" he whispered. It was bigger than anything he had done. But he was ready.