Chapter 2: All True Attributes +20 Points, No Luck Attribute (Triggered by 10,000 Soldier-Type Units, Already Triggered).
As the title effect finished its blessing, some pig-heads began to stir restlessly. In the past, they were never very obedient, and now with morale boosted by +70, feeling that Su Xiao was their backing, some pig-heads became even more eager to act, ready to pick a fight with other pig-heads.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely their fault. Their daily lives were monotonous and dull, and fighting was the most interesting thing to do. Over time, it became both addictive and exhilarating.
Under the morale boost, Su Xiao issued his first command to the pig-heads: go to the tool storage on the second and third floors, grab mining picks, and start excavating the mountain on the inner side of the fortress's first floor.
The pig-head laborers' previous work involved chipping away at active ore encased in rock harder than most metals. Now, with mining picks, their speed at digging into the mountain was astonishing.
Initially, ten pig-heads started working. After a tunnel was carved into the mountain, nearly a hundred pig-heads joined in, followed by several hundred. The rocks they excavated were loaded onto mine carts by other pig-heads and dumped into a dozen or so abandoned mine shafts outside.
At this point, the pig-heads might not excel at other tasks, but when it came to mining and digging mountains, their efficiency was terrifying.
By that evening, according to Su Xiao's requirements, the mountain connected to the fortress's back gate was essentially hollowed out. The mountain's thickness was reduced to less than five meters, with a liquid support structure installed during the excavation. This structure was typically used in mining to prevent collapses, even in the hard rock of active ore veins. No one could guarantee that an entire vein was a single solid mass, and when it came to mining, the pig-heads were professionals.
Leveraging the world's advanced mining technology, they hollowed out three interconnected peaks, ensuring they wouldn't collapse for several months. Beyond that, stability wasn't guaranteed, but if needed, they could continue digging deeper.
Su Xiao stood inside the excavated mountain space. Above him, the ceiling, shaped like an inverted bowl, had many two-meter-wide holes for sunlight. These skylights would later need rainproofing and camouflage, along with numerous ventilation shafts.
A Tier-5 fortress couldn't house over ten thousand pig-heads. Setting up small huts or dormitories could accommodate at most a few hundred. The space carved out behind the mountain was enough for the current pig-head population.
Around Su Xiao, busy pig-heads were constructing dormitories and individual rooms within the mountain space. These were prefabricated wooden-and-metal hybrid houses, available in two types: small huts and collective dormitories.
The small huts were about 15 square meters, spacious enough for two pig-heads to live comfortably. The collective dormitories could house 30 pig-heads, with four rows of large bunk beds.
Su Xiao purchased 1,000 small huts and 350 collective dormitories, solving the housing problem for 12,500 pig-heads.
Because Su Xiao bought such a large quantity of these hybrid houses, the seller was overjoyed and threw in matching bedding and other items for free. Even so, the seller made a huge profit, as Su Xiao paid 6,500 kilograms of active ore for the deal.
Su Xiao also placed an order for more with the seller. Normally, without a deposit, the seller wouldn't risk mass-producing such items in a fully mechanized factory. However, Su Xiao's first purchase was so generous that the look in the vassal saleswoman's eyes suggested she'd be willing to do anything right after the transaction.
Manufacturing these hybrid houses was difficult, requiring near-total mechanization, but assembly was simple.
Once assembled, the walls of these houses were hollow, with a thickness of 30 centimeters. After injecting foam concrete into the wall cavities, the houses didn't feel like simple prefab structures; they resembled normal, ground-built homes. Suffice it to say, the money was well spent.
Living in prefab houses doesn't foster a strong sense of belonging or the feeling that "this is home." But these sturdy, aesthetically pleasing houses were different. Pig-heads living here would inevitably develop a sense of belonging and attachment.
That night, the pig-heads, who had been transported and immediately put to work without rest, now marched en masse with mining tools to nearby vassal territories. They dug C-shaped canals to divert river water to flow near the fortress. Their work efficiency was impressive.
First, all the pig-heads bathed and tidied up their personal hygiene. Then, they thoroughly cleaned the fortress and the mountain space connected to its rear.
After finishing these tasks, the pig-heads lined up at several large dining halls in the back to receive their meals. They noticed that tonight's dinner was unlike anything they'd seen before.
In front of rows of dormitories and houses, the pig-heads wolfed down their food. They were all puzzled today: no mining, lighter work, and food that had jumped several levels in quality. Though they'd never eaten premium food before, everyone could tell what was delicious.
That night, from the collective dormitories came the sound of snoring rising and falling.
More amusingly, a female pig-head poked her head out of a private hut, confirmed there were no guards, then closed the door and sat on the bed with a male pig-head. The male pig-head looked fierce, but now his expression was nervous, even a bit flustered. His name was Steel Fang.
It could be said that the happiness level of these ten thousand-plus pig-heads was skyrocketing. But this didn't come without a price. Tomorrow, they would learn what they had to pay to enjoy all of this.