Sitting in front of the control console, Su Wu once again focused his thoughts, recalling the sensations he had just experienced.
He now had a rough understanding of what "spirituality" represented.
Essentially, the state of enhanced spirituality transformed him from a top-level researcher with a wealth of theoretical knowledge but no innovative edge into a scientist on par with the rare historical geniuses who appeared once in centuries—those capable of driving civilization's technological progress forward.
In terms of game mechanics, this transformation was akin to jumping directly from a blue-tier card to the ultra-rare orange-tier card, entirely skipping the intermediate purple-tier phase.
And this result was achieved with just a single point of spirituality, granting him ten minutes of this heightened state.
If multiple points of spirituality were actively concentrated into the same ten-minute window, Su Wu would surpass all the scientific achievements of humanity's history. He might even reach a level where a mere glance could unravel the mysteries of the universe.
From this perspective, the utility of spirituality might not be any less significant than survival points.
"From every angle, spirituality seems like a cheat-level accelerator," he muttered to himself.
Realizing its value, Su Wu shifted his strategy, placing greater emphasis on spirituality.
He meticulously reviewed each method listed in the system logs for acquiring spirituality, reevaluating them with newfound seriousness.
Paths one and three, upon closer examination, could essentially be merged. They revolved around maximizing the population under his protection and treating them well—though "treating them well" might not be the most precise phrasing.
A more accurate description would be **"entering a transaction with them."**
Su Wu would provide them with shelter and promise them a better life. In return, they were to regard him as their sole leader, offering sincere gratitude and worship. If their devotion fell short of sincerity, it would violate the terms of this "contract," warranting punishment.
As he reflected on this, Su Wu couldn't shake a subtle unease. It felt as though he was embarking on a path to godhood. Yet, after a brief hesitation, he decided not to dwell on it for now. The priority was to acquire spirituality; everything else would take a backseat.
For the second path, Su Wu's attention turned to the **Spirituality Generator.**
It appeared as an app-like icon in the system interface. When he clicked it, a series of images and text-based questions appeared in the system log.
The images were intricate and bizarre, resembling blueprints of mechanical designs. The accompanying questions were philosophical or brain-teasing in nature, many of which lacked definitive answers. This meant that even ordinary individuals could answer a portion of the questions, though the more knowledgeable someone was, the more questions they could tackle, and their answers would naturally be richer in content.
Looking at the images and questions, Su Wu was reminded of the system's earlier suggestion: this setup could be turned into a game.
After all, nobody enjoys answering dull questions endlessly. Even under coercion, the results might not be ideal. But if these were gamified into puzzle-solving challenges, complete with rare in-game rewards for successful answers, the outcomes would undoubtedly be different.
Moreover, the gaming format would make it easier to promote the Spirituality Generator beyond Su Wu's immediate territory.
As for how to develop this game, Su Wu already had an idea. On his current internet platform, there were several open-source online games with decent popularity. Using those games as a foundation, he could integrate the Spirituality Generator's information into the content, packaging it as part of a new expansion pack.
It didn't need to be overly sophisticated. For online games, as long as the characters were appealing, the controls smooth, and the equipment system layered enough to encourage competitiveness, it would suffice.
In the future, Su Wu planned to recruit a dedicated team to manage the game's content updates and operations. Recruitment would not be an issue; with a population of 600,000 under his rule, he was confident he could find the talent he needed.
"I need to accelerate development as much as possible. With spirituality in the picture, the population has shifted from being a basic resource to a precious one. I can't allow them to die in droves to natural disasters anymore."
After exploring the system's new tech tree and spirituality mechanics, Su Wu turned his attention back to managing the day-to-day affairs of his shelter.
The **Farmhouse Shelter**, now fully upgraded, had undergone a quiet transformation within the system. Its designation had shifted from "Prosperous Private Shelter (99%)" to "Powerful Private Shelter (Max)," with the progress bar disappearing entirely. This signified that, within the realm of private shelters, the farmhouse had reached its peak.
The next step would be upgrading it into a medium-sized shelter. Su Wu already had a plan for this expansion.
The first step was to preserve the external walls of the existing ninth underground level. Using it as the center, he would excavate a circular space 100 meters in diameter and 12 meters high at the same horizontal level.
This new space would effectively surround the original ninth level, forming an outer ring. The total area would increase from 3,000 square meters to nearly 8,000 square meters—two to three times larger.
After securing the foundation of the ninth level, the same method would be used to expand the upper eight levels, layer by layer. The ultimate goal was to reshape the entire farmhouse shelter into a cylindrical structure.
This design would also account for the emergence of spirituality and the imminent technological boom. With survival points becoming more precious and safety remaining a priority, the outermost zones would no longer be reinforced with survival points. Instead, they would be constructed using concrete, steel, and waterproof materials.
Once the farmhouse shelter's expansion was complete, Su Wu planned to continue enlarging it incrementally, eventually transforming it into a full-fledged underground city.
"Also, the functionality of each level within the shelter needs to be re-evaluated and reorganized."
The current layout had inefficiencies. For instance, the massive metal storage vault and water reservoir on the fifth underground level, each holding 6,000 cubic meters, posed structural challenges due to their weight. During initial construction, Su Wu had deliberately avoided excavating beneath them to mitigate risks.