Survival of the Nation: My luck was a tiny bit worse.

In conclusion, Alexander's project officially commenced.

The three Pakistani soldiers were responsible for building the foundations for their own houses.

They selected a flat area on the east side of the foot of the mountain, first built a half-meter-high foundation with rubble, and then laid it up one by one with stone bricks.

Hassan's craftsmanship was indeed professional; the gaps between the bricks were filled tightly with the prepared clay mortar, making the entire wall surface smooth and even.

The three Xiong Guos began their project on the west side.

Alexander actually remembered the swing. He found a crooked tree, hung the tire on it, found some sturdy vines, and with a few simple adjustments, the swing was ready.

Ou Yun sat on it and rocked it a couple of times, and thought it actually looked pretty convincing, so he immediately laughed, "Not bad, Alexander, your skills are pretty good."

Alexander said, "We may not be as good as our Pakistani brothers, but we still know these little tricks, hahaha!"

Ou Yun then called out to Leng, "Come on, let's play!"

Leng Ruolan gave an "oh" and subconsciously went over—but suddenly seemed to remember something and turned her head away awkwardly.

Maxim scratched the back of his head. "Doesn't Captain Cold like it?"

Ou Yun said no, and whispered, "It's okay, she'll come and play when no one's around."

No one can resist a swing, from childhood to adulthood.

Especially this kind of swing facing the sea with spring flowers in bloom!

*

The Xiong Kingdom members reinforced the swing before starting to seriously lay the foundation.

The architectural style of the Xiong people is completely different from that of the Pakistani people—they do not use stone bricks, but instead use large trees to make the frame, the walls are assembled with wooden planks, and the roofs are covered with bark and weeds.

It looks simple, but Ivan says this structure is actually warmer on snowy days because wood is better at retaining heat than stone.

Maxim silently took on the most tiring work—digging the foundation pit.

The taciturn, burly man wielded a hoe and dug four standard-sized foundation pits, each half a meter deep, in just one morning.

His diligence earned him praise even from Team Leader Leng, who said, "Well done. With the all-attribute boost, he's definitely much stronger than before."

Upon hearing this, the burly man's ears turned slightly red, and he swung his hoe even faster.

Meanwhile, Ou Yun and Leng Ruolan were not idle either; the furnace was still being used to forge weapons, but that piece was handed over to Chen Hao.

The two of them shuttled back and forth between the homesteads of the Bear Kingdom and the Pakistan Kingdom, occasionally helping to clear weeds, level the ground, and dig drainage ditches.

After seeing Dazhuang and Scarface off, Nanbei and Green Bean patrolled the area around the foot of the mountain, occasionally bringing back a wild rabbit or pheasant for a meal.

Even the monkeys came to help.

Seeing the two-legged creatures working so hard, the group of furry little brothers also jumped around and joined in the fun.

The big monkey took the lead and guided the troop of monkeys to move stones.

Although most of the stones they brought did not meet the specifications, it's commendable that they had the intention to do so.

All the non-compliant stones were thrown into the furnace for refining.

The European team also generously rewarded them with jerky and fruit.

Three days later, both houses were topped out at the same time.

The stone houses in Pakistan are square and simple in appearance, but solid in structure. The interior is divided into several functional areas—bedroom, storage room, tool room, and even a space for a small fireplace.

Leng Ruolan walked around the house and said, "Not bad, this house can hold its own."

The wooden houses in the Bear Kingdom are full of wild charm.

The exterior walls, constructed from logs, retain the original texture of the bark, and the roof is covered with a thick layer of dry thatch.

The room was open and spacious, with a large wooden table in the center, which Alexander had cut from a single tree trunk.

"Finally, I have my own place!"

Alexander stood with his hands on his hips in front of the cabin, looking at his new territory with great satisfaction.

"This is much better than our old, drafty, dilapidated camp!"

Ivan laughed beside him, "It's close to my older brother and the others, so it's convenient to visit them."

Farhan and Hassan stood in the open space between the two houses, looked around, and sighed, "It feels like we've gone back to the days when we lived in the village as children."

What was the village like when you were a child?

"It's not a big place, just about ten households. But everyone knows each other, and if someone has something delicious, they can just take a bowl and send it to the neighbor next door."

"During the busy farming season, we help each other harvest crops; when we have free time, we sit under the trees chatting and drinking tea."

Hassan's eyes were filled with longing.

"Back then, life seemed mundane, but now I realize that was the most fulfilling life."

But when disaster strikes, the whole world changes.

Ouch.

Farhan laughed, "Aren't we replicating this kind of life right now?"

"yes……"

They actually replicated it in the forbidden area.

This was something he really hadn't expected.

So this is what it's like to feel safe in a forbidden area, a place fraught with danger!

The eldest brother of the Dragon Kingdom is indeed the eldest brother of the Dragon Kingdom.

Hassan smiled. "That's why I said it feels good."

evening.

Ou Yun stood in the campsite halfway up the mountain, looking down.

Two new houses sit in the valley, with wisps of smoke rising from their rooftops.

The sunset painted half the sky red, and the aroma of roasted meat and flatbread wafted through the air.

Nanbei lay at Ouyun's feet, its tail swishing leisurely back and forth.

Green Bean had somehow joined in, squatting on Nanbei's back, its little head nodding off.

Leng Ruolan walked to his side and followed his gaze down the mountain for a while. "Looking at it now, it really does resemble a village."

"Right?"

Ou Yun crossed his arms, his face unusually devoid of a playful smile.

"In the past, there were only a few of us guarding a mountain."

I really didn't expect that there would be neighbors.

"There are monkeys, lynxes, hyenas, and pangolins all around—"

Although that guy came from the north and south.

Upon hearing the words "pangolin," Nanbei's ears immediately perked up, and it let out a disgruntled meow.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about it."

Ou Yun squatted down and scratched Nanbei's chin.

Anyway, we're practically living like gods now...

Leng Ruolan asked him, "So, what are your plans for next?"

"First, complete the village's infrastructure: the mill, the communal warehouse, the fortifications—then continue exploring the forbidden areas."

"Then... let's continue jungling."

Setting up camp is not the end, but a new beginning!

"After all, there are many things that can be made in this Abyss Forge. The more materials you have, the more possibilities there are."

Ou Yun thought about it.

"If Hassan can actually find a stable source of minerals, then we can really start mass-producing advanced equipment."

Once mass production is possible, everyone can go hunting in the wild.

If everyone goes to hunt in the wild, they might actually find an exit or a cheat code for clearing the game, or something amazing.