CHAPTER 576: DEEP THOUGHTS

Which was apparently a big fat zero.

Yes, because surprisingly, they were not even needed.

Not that they left because of it, but more like they stayed in spite of it.

It was nothing short of miraculous watching a sow give birth to that many piglets. All fifteen of them. Elder Pao Xi even explained that normally, sows manage perfectly well on their own, but there are always a few risks, like accidentally crushing a piglet or running into complications during delivery. That was when people like him stepped in.

At first, Ollie and Jax had been busy making lists of possible names and discussing education plans, determined to spoil the very first litter that would one day help raise the next ones. The excitement was real. But Luca, practical as ever, pointed out that naming them might be difficult considering the likely outcome.

And sure enough, by the eighth piglet, Ollie had gone completely silent, his brain short-circuiting. Jax, on the other hand, had thrown himself into assisting Elder Pao Xi, learning how to clean the newborns despite the barn’s built-in drying and heating systems.

"Brother! S-so many babies? Is the mama piggy going to be okay?" Ollie asked, horrified as the newborns kept arriving.

Some took longer than others, but even so, it was unbelievably fast. Especially for someone who had never seen a live birth before.

Luca rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. "Actually, the farm I worked at before had even more piglets in one litter, so there might be a chance we’ll get more, brother."

"Even more?!" Ollie’s voice nearly reached a shriek.

How?

How did all of them even fit in there? And what about childcare?

Worse, how many more would there be when several other sows were pregnant?

The thought alone was enough. The blonde, who thankfully would never have to be pregnant himself, fainted on the spot, overwhelmed by mental images of endless baby pigs and the logistics of raising them.

By the time a certain Mylor woke up, the news was in. Fifteen piglets had been born within the last nine hours.

Splendid news, yes, but Ollie’s eyes still trembled, tears threatening to spill. The reason was simple. The little mop had failed to witness the entire birth.

He had not welcomed all the babies.

"Brother, are you all right?" Luca asked the moment he noticed the shift in Ollie’s expression.

"Yes, but the babies... I only saw half of them." His lips quivered with sheer disappointment.

Before the first tear could fall, a warm hand ruffled his hair.

"Don’t worry. Luca recorded the rest for you. And I joined Jax in personally cleaning and checking them in your stead."

"Huh?" Ollie’s head whipped toward Kyle. "You did that?"

"Yeah. A family representative is close enough, don’t you think?" Kyle’s voice was tired but amused. Ollie’s face lit up like a star at the answer.

He thanked his brother for the recording and promptly jumped on Kyle, who barely had time to brace himself. "Whoa there, let me take a bath first. I probably stink."

"It’s okay," Ollie insisted, still peppering him with kisses until reminded to check on Jax, who was most likely the most exhausted of them all.

They all agreed and went to look for him. When they entered, Elder Pao Xi immediately motioned for them to keep quiet.

Sure enough, Jax was passed out in another empty farrowing pen.

"Is he alright? Does he need medical attention?" Luca asked quietly.

"He is healthy, only extremely tired," Elder Pao Xi replied. "Lord Luca, take him somewhere comfortable so he can rest properly. Later, I will speak to you about something, but I will consult with the others first."

The elder’s gaze lingered on the group, a small, approving thought crossing his mind. It should be worth it.

Under his breath, he muttered to himself, "These kids have done well today. Jax especially." He’d been especially concerned given their treatment of the animals, but was painfully aware that it should probably be dealt with.

Elder Pao Xi knew this feeling well. Morality and guilt often went hand in hand for those who raised animals. He had wondered if these children, so eager and hands-on, would be able to continue their original goals after today. Or would they decide it was too much once they saw the reality up close?

That was the sensible expectation.

Then Jax spoke, and the elder realized his thinking might have been too narrow, especially for people raised in this kind of environment.

The young man’s gaze was somewhere between the far wall and the newborn piglets, his tone casual, almost lazy. "More than anything, I think I get it."

He gestured at the tiny piglets, still damp, greedily nursing like their lives depended on it—which, technically, they did.

Jax watched them with fascination as they had all figured out what to do without even being told.

"Well, not because I was a pig before, or well, maybe, but because the humans of today all know why we’re pushing for reproduction."

"We all grew up knowing babies are important because we need fighters. Every parent knows their kid might be sent off somewhere far away, maybe never come back, just as they once had to do it themselves... but they still do it."

"We still do it. It’s something that couldn’t even be hidden, even when some tried, because the reality is we’re just buying everyone time."

"There was actually a time when people clamored to just let the contaminated planets be, so that the other safe ones could be protected. But then it started spreading from scattered debris, or remnants of other planets, and everyone figured that there was no way to stop fighting."

He scratched his cheek, smiling faintly as if this was just common sense. "But even when we’re losing, everyone has still been doing their best. So now that there’s a chance to actually survive? Of course, we’re gonna try harder."

"And that includes all this."

It was said so simply, but the elder felt the weight of it.

"Maybe that’s my excuse so I can sleep better," Jax went on, shrugging. "And while it would’ve been nice to rely on what nature wants to give instead of domestication, that isn’t really possible for us. Not when everything has been trying to kill everyone for years."

A small sigh escaped him, though his smile stayed. "Sure, I’m sad sometimes. I think about my vegetable children and, yeah, I cry a little (a lot). But that’s why I want them to be eaten well, serve a great purpose, and be treated right until their time comes. They’re doing us a huge favor. The least we can do is give them the best life we can while possible."

Elder Pao Xi blinked. This boy, with his easy grin and simple way of speaking, carried a level of acceptance and self-awareness that felt... refreshing.

"Is it really that bad outside?" the elder asked.

"Oh yeah," Jax said instantly, then brightened. "But since Luca got here, it’s already better. When the Star Mall store opened, it saved lives. I’m sure every update saved someone. Back then, the military got most of it. But thanks to a better military allocation, now other people get a chance too."

"A Star Mall store?" Elder Pao Xi repeated.

"Yes!" Jax perked up, then realized the elder probably had no idea what it was. "Here, I’ll show you."

The interface shimmered into the air, full of colorful images and prices.

"This is... interesting," the elder said, curious. "How do people buy and sell with this? And why are there... flat vegetables in Luca’s store?"

Jax grinned. "We keep the products here. Buyers pick what they want, a middleman holds the payment, we send the item, then the middleman gives us the money."

"Amazing," the elder murmured. "How many can buy from here?"

"Anyone with access. I can get you access. You can send it to the school, and I’ll bring it to you."

Puffing up with pride, he added, "It’s how I got that watermelon before."

"Is it easy to buy?"

Jax’s expression turned absurdly serious. "Yes. As long as you never try to buy from Luca’s store."

"Why not?"

"Because that’s the ultimate test of handspeed and luck. And if you actually get the item, it’s a test of relationships. People have even proposed with his juice bottles. That’s how big a deal it is."

The elder stared. "Proposals?"

"Yup. Dungeon stuff is prized outside. Some of the most popular in the whole Empire."

The elder scanned the listings. "I see mostly vegetables. Where are the animal products?"

"He he! About that, Elder, they’re coming! Eggs were first released in the VIP store, and people loved them. That’s the only thing we’ve got enough of right now, but Luca says we can start selling them soon."

"You’ll sell eggs directly?"

"Not yet, according to Luca, it would be best to get them used to it! We’ll sell omelettes first so people know how to use them. We don’t want them eating it raw or messing it up that they’d end up wasting it."

"We served egg fried rice before," he continued, "but this way, small servings reach more people."

"Luca said we’re aiming for about 50,000 units this time around!" Jax said proudly.

"Is that a lot? How big is the population we’re actually trying to feed?"

"Well, definitely more than what we had before, which was nothing. And as for the population, well, uh, trillions, maybe more. But that’s dropping fast because of corruption mutations."

"Trillions?!" Elder Pao Xi’s voice jumped. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? How are we supposed to feed everyone?"

Jax blinked. "Huh? But Elder, how are we realistically supposed to feed everyone? I didn’t even think we could feed a village."

The elder studied him for a long moment. With anyone else, he would have agreed. But wouldn’t that be embarrassing with four deities???

Perhaps they really did need to speed things up.