Ian returned near the villa, bringing Zambo with him.
Chloe and Anna had already come out of the villa. They stood by the door, watching Ian and the zombie with curiosity.
"Boss, where did you catch another zombie?" Chloe pointed at Zambo.
"This is my new… subordinate," Ian said with a smile. "His name's Zambo."
"Subordinate?" Chloe's eyes widened. "Boss, you sure that's a subordinate? Not, like… a monster?"
"Don't worry, he's very obedient," Ian reassured her. "He won't hurt you."
"But he looks so gross!" Chloe grimaced.
"You'll get used to it," Ian replied.
"After all that work, you two must be hungry, right?" Ian clapped his hands and pulled out a pile of food from the Transmutation Tablet—roast chicken, bread, fruit, even a few bottles of soda.
Chloe's mouth was already watering. She rushed forward, grabbed a chicken leg, and bit down. "I'm starving! Boss, your Inventory is like Doraemon's pocket!"
Anna timidly took a piece of bread, nibbling slowly, gratitude shining in her eyes.
Ian noticed Zambo standing off to the side, staring longingly at the meat in their hands.
"Uh… what do you want to eat?" Ian asked carefully.
"Meat… raw meat… cooked meat…" Zambo rasped, drooling.
Ian twitched his mouth, then pulled out a massive pile of raw meat from the Transmutation Tablet, stacking it into a mountain. "Knock yourself out."
Zambo's eyes glowed green as drool spilled from his mouth. Though he was desperate to dig in, he restrained himself, directing a group of zombies to carry the meat away before eating—trying to make a good impression on his new boss.
"Oh, right, Zambo, I've got some 'good stuff' for you," Ian grinned slyly, pulling out a Level 6 Klein Star and filling it with EMC. "Take this energy and spawn a few more of you brothers."
Zambo could feel the immense power radiating from the sphere. His eyes turned bright green as he nodded repeatedly. "Thank you… Master!"
"From now on, you and your kin will head to the Zombie World and farm Interdimensional Energy for me," Ian ordered. "If you encounter anyone special—like someone with superpowers or absurd skills—report to me immediately."
"Understood… Master!" Zambo shouted excitedly before leading his horde through the portal.
"Phew, finally quiet." Ian stretched lazily. "Anyway, that old mob tower's useless now. Let's dismantle it."
He turned to Chloe and Anna: "Next, we need to properly plan out this Skyblock. Do you two have any ideas?"
"I want a big garden!" Chloe raised her hand eagerly.
"I… I'd like a quiet place… to do experiments," Anna said softly.
"No problem!" Ian waved grandly. "We'll build a gigantic Skyblock first, then link several smaller islands around it!"
And so he did. Using dirt and stone, Ian constructed a colossal island—spanning millions of square meters.
"Wow! That's huge!" Chloe gasped.
"Heh, this is only the beginning," Ian said proudly. He then built several smaller islands around the main one, connecting them with massive bridges.
"You two can design the main island's terrain however you like," he told them. "Go wild!"
"As for houses…" Ian rubbed his hands together, ready to get creative.
"Boss, please, don't unleash your 'artistic talent' again," Chloe pleaded. "Just grab a few pretty villas from other worlds, okay? We don't need another… uh, 'masterpiece.'"
She and Anna exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
The next few days, Ian was busier than ever. He decorated the Super Composite Rail Device, making it blend more naturally into the landscape.
On another floating island, under his direction, a lush zoo and botanical garden came to life—filled with unique Minecraft plants and creatures.
Beside it, a massive farm stretched out, golden wheat swaying in the breeze while fruits and vegetables filled the air with a sweet aroma.
"Boss, is this a zoo and a farm?" Chloe asked.
"Too small-minded! This is art, understand?" Ian rolled his eyes. "It's the sacred obsession of all Minecraft Skyblock players!"
Anna adored it. She gently touched a blooming flower, a soft smile spreading across her face.
Next, Ian led them to another island.
The scene shifted dramatically—piles of strange machinery, towering chimneys, huge gears, and tangled pipes filled the space. It had the rough charm of the industrial age… though without any power sources, it was basically "junk."
"I 'picked' all this from the Zombie World," Ian said, gesturing proudly.
"It's useless to me, but Anna, maybe you'll find something useful here. This island is your laboratory now."
Chloe facepalmed. "Boss, are you addicted to scavenging? What's the point of all this junk? It's just clutter!"
"You don't get it! This is industrial aesthetics!" Ian declared earnestly.
Finally, in a remote corner far from the main island, Ian built a massive glass structure.
From the outside, it looked like a giant beehive, divided into many small rooms inside.
"This is my figure display house."
"Figure… house?" Chloe and Anna exchanged puzzled looks.
Ian led them into one of the rooms. Inside, thick soil was laid on the ground, and in the corners were piles of construction debris and dilapidated train carriages retrieved from the Zombie Universe, creating a post-apocalyptic wasteland atmosphere.
"These are the 'single rooms' prepared for the Smart Zombies," Ian explained. "I specifically decorated a comfortable home for them according to their 'aesthetic.'"
Chloe shuddered. "Boss, are you sure about that word 'comfortable'? Because this feels straight-up creepy…"
"You don't understand—it's called atmosphere!" Ian said, opening a portal to the Zombie World and tossing the captured zombies inside.
"From now on, this is your home. Don't wander off, got it?"
The zombies seemed to understand. They obediently shuffled into their individual rooms.
Ian cleared his throat dramatically and led Chloe and Anna into the next room.
As soon as the door opened, a cold, damp air poured out. The room was dimly lit, with rotting wood and scattered bones in the corners. The air reeked faintly of earth and decay.
In the center, a zombie wandered aimlessly, growling softly. "This is the room for the Original Dumb Zombie," Ian explained. "I went for a 'luxury tomb aesthetic.'"
Chloe twitched. "Luxury? Boss, that looks like a freshly dug grave!"
"You don't understand—this is natural design! Zombies love dark, damp spaces. It'll feel just like home." Ian pointed to the rotten wood in the corner. "See? I even added 'premium coffins' for resting."
Anna glanced around nervously. "Um… those bones… what are they?"
"Oh, don't be afraid. Those are beef bones from making beef bone soup. I specifically brought them back from the station to add a touch of horror. Totally zombie-approved." (They're definitely not Skeleton bones).
Next, they arrived at the room next door. This room's style was drastically different from the Zombie's room. The floor was covered with white bones, old target practice papers hung on the walls, and a pile of arrows and broken bows lay in the corner.
A Skeleton sat slouched against the wall, lazily fiddling with its bow.
"This is Skeleton's room! Don't be scared—the bones aren't theirs... they are artificial, they have a nice aroma!"
Seeing Anna trembling, Ian quickly tried to reassure her, even picking up a bone and waving it near her nose. Anna just turned paler.
Finally, they reached the last room.
Before they even entered, Chloe and Anna felt an oppressive aura pressing down, the air thick and heavy.
Inside, darkness. Only the faint, terrifying "hissss" from the corner broke the silence.
"Wh… whose room is this?" Anna asked, voice trembling.
"Heh, now for the main event—this is the Creeper's special 'Explosion Chamber'!" Ian grinned and flipped on the lights.
The room burst into a sickly green glow. Chloe and Anna finally saw it clearly—and gasped.
Every inch of wall and floor was piled with TNT—different sizes, colors, and brands—forming mountains that looked ready to blow at any second.
In the center, a Creeper happily strutted around the TNT stacks, hissing gleefully.
"Boss! Are you insane?! You filled this place with TNT! Are you trying to blow up the island?!" Chloe screamed, voice cracking.
"Relax, relax! No need to panic." Ian waved calmly. "See? I surrounded it with obsidian. Even if it explodes, worst case, the Creeper dies."
"And besides, they are guarding it! They won't let anything blow up." Ian pointed toward two other Creepers.
"Hissss!"
They didn't understand his words—but when he pointed at them, they trembled and huddled into a corner.
"..."