It had been three days since the victory over the Cyclops tribe.
In fact, Li De had been closely monitoring the Cyclops' recovery during these days. However, the speed of treating these hulking creatures exceeded his expectations.
It took a full three days to barely heal them.
What truly astonished Li De was the Cyclops' insatiable appetite.
A single Cyclops could consume the daily rations of twenty people. With twenty-two Cyclops, they required food equivalent to feeding four hundred people every day.
It was like an endless void.
To Li De's amusement, once they were well-fed—even those who had signed soul contracts but initially treated him with indifference—every Cyclops now greeted him with utmost respect.
These Cyclops, who had reluctantly joined Dawn City, were initially unwilling. But after being fed, they became extremely cooperative.
Cyclops never serve unless they are fed and housed??
After discussing the matter in detail with Kosso, Li De finally understood. Though the Underground World was abundant in lifeforms and rich in minerals, food was extremely scarce.
Coupled with the Cyclops' voracious appetites, even extensive hunting often left them hungry. As a result, they lived in a perpetual state of starvation.
In the Underground World, a Cyclops might go from birth to death without ever experiencing a full stomach. These perpetually starved beings suddenly found themselves well-fed for the first time.
This newfound satisfaction overwhelmed them with joy.
Thus, their initial reluctance vanished instantly.
Upon learning this, Li De didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If he had known they were so easily won over with food, why bother fighting?
No wonder their status panels initially displayed a "Severe Hunger" debuff.
He had assumed it was due to some other reason, but it turned out they were simply starving because they couldn't find food.
It was both amusing and exasperating.
What slightly reassured Li De was that the Cyclops were indeed very powerful—especially against ground forces.
There were twenty-two Cyclops in total: one Level 15 Cyclops Lord—Kosso Thunder; five Level 10 Cyclops warriors; ten adult Cyclops ranging from Levels 8 to 9; and six juvenile Cyclops at Level 4.
All of these Cyclops had signed soul contracts, making them his private property.
The Cyclops were akin to heavy infantry. Against cavalry or foot soldiers, they were nearly invincible.
Their massive size granted them a significant advantage when facing smaller creatures.
This was their unique racial trait.
In Glory, there seemed to be no perfect beings—almost every race had strengths and weaknesses.
Powerful beings like dragons and elves suffered from low reproduction rates, taking hundreds or even thousands of years to produce a single offspring.
In contrast, humans with lesser innate abilities might have already multiplied into an entire kingdom.
The Cyclops' strength lay in their powerful bodies.
At the same level, a human might not survive a single punch from a Cyclops. However, their relatively low intelligence remained a flaw.
But now, with the vampires compensating for their shortcomings, the Cyclops could be considered formidable.
One side had air superiority, while the other controlled the ground.
As for their lack of intelligence, the vampires could direct their combat strategies.
However, Li De wasn't currently concerned with warfare but rather with something more pressing—something he eagerly wanted to begin.
Mining.
With the Cyclops conquered, Li De now truly owned a mine.
Obsessed with iron ore, he once again sent the young prospector Jones and several blacksmiths to Giant Valley—a name he temporarily coined.
The results were highly encouraging. According to Jones's assessment, Giant Valley contained a rich vein of iron ore with vast reserves.
Li De felt reassured.
Ore was fundamental to a city's development. Without its own mineral veins, a city could hardly function. Unlike other cities that could purchase ore, Dawn City had no connections with the outside world.
Thus, the most critical task now was to immediately develop this iron mine and get it operational as quickly as possible. Dawn City desperately needed ore.
"Harrison, how many people know how to mine ore?"
On the third floor of the City Hall, Li De massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
They had the mine, but extraction posed another challenge.
Mining wasn't as simple as digging sand.
"Lord, three blacksmiths know how, and about twenty humans have worked in mines before."
"Then gather these people, send a hundred vampires along, and establish the mine as quickly as possible."
Harrison hesitated.
"Lord Li De, the weather is too cold right now. Without using magic, it will be difficult for humans to work."
The warm hearth flickered with flames, filling the room with warmth, almost making Li De forget the harsh weather outside.
Turning to look out the window, snowflakes continued to fall heavily, blanketing the rooftops in thick layers of snow.
A silver-white world.
Cold was the greatest enemy. Expecting ordinary humans to dig pits while bundled in thick cotton clothing was quite challenging.
Suddenly, a massive figure appeared outside the window.
Cyclops.
Over the past few days, the Cyclops had lived comfortably in Dawn City. Not only had their wounds been healed, but they also ate their fill daily.
The Cyclops were not inherently evil or bloodthirsty. Moreover, Li De had strictly ordered that no one harm humans or damage houses and streets within Dawn City.
Under the control of the soul contract, these Cyclops dared not disobey.
Thus, over these days, the Cyclops had become familiar with the humans in Dawn City.
The humans also realized that these Cyclops weren't as irritable as imagined. In fact, as long as they were fed and asked for help, the Cyclops were more than willing.
These Cyclops, with the intelligence of twelve or thirteen-year-olds, were easily won over by the humans and developed a fondness for the place.
It almost resembled humans collectively raising a few pets.
Upon learning this, Li De couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that a kind of magical charm had emerged in the city he had built with his own hands.
Humans no longer feared other races.
This was actually a good thing—a city that embraced diversity was far more appealing.
"These big guys can't just sit around eating for free.
Let Kosso lead his people to mine the ore. Set a reasonable quota—once they complete their daily tasks, they'll receive enough food to satisfy their hunger.
And the more they accomplish, the more food they'll get."
For these big guys, Li De believed nothing was more enticing than the promise of being well-fed.
"As for Kosso, give him extra tasks. After all, this guy has three wives and six children to feed."
Thinking about it made Li De chuckle. One Cyclops having three wives and six children—it was quite something.
These immensely strong beings would undoubtedly excel at mining ore. Li De was confident they wouldn't be slower than machines.
He had personally witnessed Kosso wielding his spiked club, shattering entire swathes of earth.
Using that strength for mining would surely work wonders.