Chapter 26: A New Crisis

Zhao Hai and Mutou stood by the lakeside. Merlin stood beside them, chanting incantations in a low voice. Before long, a translucent, water-blue protective shield appeared around them. Then, a swell rose from the lake, and before Zhao Hai could even react, the wave swept all three of them into the water.

However, Zhao Hai discovered that the three of them were now standing inside a translucent, water-blue sphere. The lake water acted like a fountain, supporting the sphere and propelling it forward continuously.

This was the second time Zhao Hai had witnessed the wonder of magic. The first time, Merlin had only used a simple Light spell and a simple Water Ball spell, but even then, it had seemed miraculous to him. This time was even more incredible; they were actually walking upon the waves, and one person was leading two others—it was even more impressive than the "Water Surface Glide" or "Crossing the River on a Single Reed" techniques from Chinese martial arts.

Compared to Zhao Hai, who was essentially a half-outsider, Mutou and Shitou were much more composed. Mutou had long known the wonders of magic, not to mention that Merlin was an eighth-tier Water Mage. Fighting in the water with a mage like her was a nightmare for anyone, because the water was her home turf.

Merlin also looked quite relaxed. She was extremely confident in her abilities; on the surface of the water, she believed herself to be invincible. Therefore, when she mentioned that there might be water-element magical beasts in the lake, she showed no sign of worry. She believed that even if there were water beasts, she could easily kill them.

Moving on the water surface using magic was very fast. It had taken them over three hours to arrive, but on the way back, they saw the entrance to a cave in only about half an hour. Fortunately, this cave entrance was the same one located behind the castle. This proved that the lake could indeed be used as a natural waterway, allowing them to transport people secretly to the canyon.

When Merlin dispelled the magic and Zhao Hai finally set foot on solid ground, he couldn't help but jump slightly. The sensation of standing on solid ground felt truly wonderful.

While walking on the water looked very elegant, Zhao Hai had constantly felt as though he was about to fall, a sensation that had made him very uncomfortable.

When the three emerged from the cave, they happened to see the slaves working outside. It wasn't noon yet, so they hadn't taken their break. There was a lot to clean in the cave area, and many slaves were performing woodworking inside.

To convert this cave into a place for raising Blue-Eyed Rabbits, many fences would be needed, all of which had to be made of wood, since Zhao Hai and the others did not have many iron tools at the moment.

Taking the situation at the castle into account, Green and the others had purchased some timber, though not a vast amount. Most of the things Green bought were finished products because he knew that even if some of the slaves knew carpentry, they wouldn't be able to make anything too complex; skilled craftsman slaves commanded a much higher price than these ordinary ones.

The appearance of the three startled the slaves, who immediately bowed to them. The three simply nodded and exited the cave.

Meg and Shitou were standing outside the cave. Seeing the three emerge, they were also surprised. Meg hurried forward and said, "Young Master, Grandma, why did you come out from the cave?"

Merlin smiled and said, "By traveling through the lake inside the cave, one can reach a canyon. That is the most suitable location we selected for farming. The Young Master has already improved ten acres of land there, so we have returned."

Meg's eyes lit up. "Really? That's wonderful! I didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Grandma, Young Master, please go back to the castle to rest. I can keep an eye on things here."

Merlin turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Young Master, go back to the castle to rest. I have something to discuss with you."

Zhao Hai was stunned, wondering what else Merlin wanted to talk about, but seeing her solemn expression, he didn't dare to be negligent. He nodded immediately. "Alright, let's head back to the castle first. Mutou, stay here and help Meg and Shitou." Mutou gave an affirmative response and stayed behind, while Zhao Hai and Merlin walked toward the castle.

Once they reached the castle living room, Zhao Hai looked at Merlin in confusion. "Grandma Merlin, is there something you can't say outside?"

Merlin nodded and said to Zhao Hai, "Young Master, while returning today, I took the opportunity to probe the conditions in the lake. I did not detect any powerful water-element magic. There are only two explanations for this. First, the water-element magical beast is extremely powerful and very skilled at hiding its presence, so I couldn't detect it. But that is almost impossible; I am an eighth-tier Water Mage, and I am confident that nothing in the water can evade my detection. The second possibility is that there are no powerful magical beasts in the water at all, and the reason there are no fish is due to some other cause."

Zhao Hai was startled, but he immediately realized the gravity of the situation. The mountain lake was a key part of his future plans for developing his fief. If it truly was impossible to raise fish there, he would lose an important source of funding. Furthermore, leaving such a large body of water unused would be a massive waste.

Zhao Hai said with a grim face, "Can the specific cause be found?"

Merlin also looked heavy-hearted. "I have heard a rumor, though I don't know if it's related to the lake. It is said that because the Black Soil Wasteland is so close to the Corpse Swamp, armies composed of undead creatures and poisonous magical beasts frequently raid the wasteland. They kill every living thing in the Black Soil Wasteland, which is why it has become a dead land. However, because no one used to come to the Black Soil Wasteland, this news has never been verified. If this rumor is true, that might be why there are no fish in the lake."

Zhao Hai's expression changed. If it was truly as Merlin said, then they were in big trouble. Among them, aside from Merlin, Green, Mutou, and Shitou, who possessed some combat ability, everyone else was an unskilled slave. If the undead and poisonous magical beasts from the Corpse Swamp really attacked them, they would all be doomed.

Zhao Hai lowered his head, incessantly rubbing his forehead—a habit from his previous life when he was deep in thought.

Seeing Zhao Hai like this, Merlin was also very worried. If that situation actually occurred, all their agriculture would have to stop, and it would be difficult to say if any of them would even survive.

Zhao Hai couldn't think of a good solution for the moment, so he could only say, "If this is true, we are in deep trouble. Grandma Merlin, let's wait until Grandpa Green returns to discuss this further before making a decision. I think we should do this: starting tomorrow, stop cleaning the mines. Let's gather all our supplies to forge some simple weapons, and then begin training the slaves. At the same time, we should perform some repairs on the castle. If that situation really happens, we can at least rely on the castle to hold out for a while. If all else fails, I will have to bring everyone into my Space to hide until the undead and magical beasts retreat."

Merlin frowned and thought for a moment. She couldn't think of a better way either, so she nodded. "It seems that is our only option for now. We have been in the Black Soil Wasteland for so long and haven't seen any unusual activity from the Corpse Swamp, so there should be no problem. I hope my worries are misplaced."

Zhao Hai shook his head. "Whether the worries are misplaced or not, we must do this. It is better to be prepared. The last of the Buda family's assets are all here. If we lose everything, the Buda family will have no hope of rising again."

Merlin nodded. "Alright, I will go and make the arrangements immediately. But we didn't bring many weapons this time, and most of our supplies are daily necessities; we can't make weapons out of them. What should we do?"

Zhao Hai had no good ideas either. If his farm level were high enough, he could plant trees to use as weapons, but his current level was too low to plant trees. He couldn't exactly have people fight undead creatures with corn stalks.

Zhao Hai rubbed his forehead forcefully until it was quite red, but he still couldn't think of a solution. Suddenly, he noticed the stone floor, and a bold idea entered his mind. He looked up at Merlin and said, "Grandma Merlin, I think we should organize people to collect some stones tomorrow. We can make some stone weapons. Although their lethality won't be great, we only need them for defending the castle, so they should suffice. What do you think?"

Merlin thought about it and nodded. "Very well. We don't have many supplies right now. When we left the Imperial Capital, they wouldn't let us bring any weapons, so this is our only choice. Once Green returns, we'll have him purchase a batch of weapons as soon as possible."

Zhao Hai nodded helplessly. He never imagined that one day he would return to a Stone Age lifestyle, and one they were forced to face.

Zhao Hai had realized by now that those lords in the Imperial Capital truly intended to leave them no way to survive; otherwise, they wouldn't have sent them to a place like the Black Soil Wasteland without weapons. He didn't believe those high lords hadn't heard the rumors about the Black Soil Wasteland.

Now, they were facing not just the crisis of starvation, but the potential of being killed by undead creatures and poisonous magical beasts.

(End of Chapter)