Chapter 34: Studying Literature

Merlin could hardly believe her eyes. She knew Adam better than anyone; since he was a child, he had hated reading. He would cry and throw tantrums at the mere sight of a book. It was only through his father's coercion that he had managed to learn the basics of literacy, but that was the extent of it. Trying to get him to read was an impossible task.

Although Zhao Hai had behaved very well these past few days, he had never once mentioned reading. Merlin had simply assumed that while he had become more sensible, his habit of avoiding books remained unchanged.

However, she had no idea that back on Earth, Zhao Hai was a shut-in whose life revolved around books; being separated from them was practically a death sentence. The reason he hadn't read for the past few days was simply because he had just arrived here and was facing such a perilous situation; naturally, he had neither the mood nor the presence of mind to read.

Zhao Hai truly hadn't noticed Merlin's movements. His entire focus was concentrated on the book. Although it was merely a collection of miscellaneous notes, it contained a significant amount of information, mostly regarding local customs and geography, which was incredibly useful to him.

Adam had previously been nothing more than a profligate playboy with little understanding of the continent's customs. Currently, the continent was relatively peaceful, led by the Five Great Empires which comprised thirty-two nations of various sizes. When including the settlements of various non-human races, the territory could truly be described as vast.

Zhao Hai was currently in the AKS Empire, one of the Five Great Empires. The other four were the Rosen Empire, the Leon Empire, the Futu Empire, and the Bibo Dynasty.

Zhao Hai's current fief, the Black Soil Wasteland, had long been selectively forgotten by everyone on the continent as a dead zone. However, the Corpse Rot Swamp located behind the Iron Mountains was one of the five forbidden zones that made everyone on the continent turn pale at the mention of its name.

The other four forbidden zones on the continent were: Mount Akraya, the territory of magical beasts, where it was rare for any other race to enter and return alive; the Far North Icefield, a world of ice where temperatures were extremely low and only a few ice-elemental magical beasts could survive; Flame Island, a small island located five thousand six hundred nautical miles south of the Bibo Dynasty; though small, its constant volcanic eruptions and subterranean fires made it an absolute dead zone for life; and finally, the Demon Abyss. Legend had it that the Abyss was identical to the Demon Realm, though this had never been proven, but it was true that magical beasts unseen elsewhere on the continent appeared there from time to time.

The Corpse Rot Swamp was famous for its toxicity. Whether it was the magical beasts or the undead creatures residing there, everything was poisonous. Because of this, the Corpse Rot Swamp had become a forbidden zone.

These facts had been vague in Adam's memories, but they were recorded in this collection of notes. Although not extremely detailed, it was more than enough for Zhao Hai.

Back on Earth, Zhao Hai had been a shut-in. If a shut-in didn't know about transmigration novels, he wouldn't be considered a true one. After reading these notes, Zhao Hai realized he had arrived in a world very similar to those novels. There was magic, battle qi, magical beasts, elves, dragons, and dwarves—everything found in transmigration novels was present here.

Because of this, Zhao Hai became even more determined to keep a low profile. He didn't know how powerful the top experts of this world were, but seeing Merlin use water magic to irrigate the land today gave him a general idea. That was ten acres of land, completed with a single spell. For someone like Merlin, dealing with him would be far too easy.

Zhao Hai slowly put down the book. Due to a habit cultivated over many years, his reading speed was much faster than the average person. While much of the content in this book was of little use, it had allowed him to understand this world much more deeply.

This world had experts, and those experts were no less formidable than those described in the novels he had read. In the novels, it was often said that mages lacked close-combat ability and warriors lacked long-range capabilities, but that was not the case here.

While a mage's physical body was inferior to a warrior's, they could use simple spells without needing long incantations. A Great Mage like Merlin could cast spells below the third tier almost instantaneously. No one would dare underestimate such a mage, nor would any warrior dare engage them in close combat.

And while warriors possessed battle qi, it wasn't something they could simply manifest at will; it took time to reach peak combat intensity. Furthermore, most warriors were proficient with bows, and even if they weren't, they used ranged weapons like throwing spears or axes. Their strength could not be underestimated.

Zhao Hai slowly stood up and let out a long breath. Seeing the contents of these notes made him feel that his decision to stay low-profile was correct. There were too many powerful individuals in this world, far more than he could imagine, and certainly more than he could afford to provoke.

Zhao Hai walked slowly to the study window. The window was covered with paper; currently, only commoners used paper windows. In the homes of great nobles, they used something like glass, but that had not yet become widespread due to its high cost, so Green had not purchased any.

Zhao Hai gently opened the window and looked outside. The study was on the third floor, providing excellent light and a clear view of the inner and outer castle plazas, as well as Meg, who was busy elsewhere.

There were still many women in the front courtyard weaving straw mats, but after scanning the area, Zhao Hai could not find Meg. It seemed she had gone to prepare materials for making straw boats.

Watching the busy people, Zhao Hai couldn't help but feel a bitter smile in his heart. These people were far too easily satisfied, and they had no idea that their lives were facing a massive crisis.

At this moment, Zhao Hai truly felt a sense of self-loathing for his lack of strength to protect them. At most, he could hide them in his Space to save them from a single disaster, but hiding was not a permanent solution. The Corpse Rot Swamp remained a constant source of anxiety for him.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by Merlin's voice from outside: "Young Master, come out and eat. It is time for lunch." Zhao Hai was momentarily stunned; he hadn't realized time had passed so quickly. He looked out the window again and saw that those who were weaving straw had indeed returned to their rooms to eat.

Zhao Hai responded and opened the door, only to find Merlin standing there with a joyful expression, looking at him with a chuckle. Startled, Zhao Hai asked, "Grandma Merlin, what has made you so happy?"

Merlin said nothing specific, only, "It's nothing, I'm just happy. Young Master, let's go down for lunch."

Zhao Hai nodded and followed Merlin downstairs. By then, Meg and the others had also returned and were waiting for him. As they entered the dining room, they found that Merlin had already prepared lunch.

After they sat down, Zhao Hai turned to Mutou and said, "Mutou, I've asked Merlin to make straw boats these past few days. You need to lead the men to gather more straw, and you should find some men to help. Meg and the others don't have much strength; you need to assist them more."

Mutou acknowledged the instruction. Zhao Hai then turned to Shitou and said, "Shitou, help An collect all the stones he needs as quickly as possible. Set them aside once they are collected, and once there is a certain amount, I will come to help you transport them. That will be much more efficient."

Shitou agreed and turned to An, saying, "An, you must be careful while quarrying. It's better to collect fewer stones than to risk your safety."

An also nodded. Zhao Hai then turned to Ju: "Ju, for now, continue organizing everyone to weave straw mats. Once they have learned, you will follow Merlin to learn how to make straw boats. Don't make the boats too large; if they can hold about a dozen people, that should be enough. Don't worry about waste; there is plenty of wild grass on the mountain."

Ju complied. Zhao Hai then turned to Merlin and said, "Grandma Merlin, do you think we should build a lookout post on the mountaintop to watch the Corpse Rot Swamp and keep an eye on the surroundings of the castle? If magical beasts or undead creatures really do emerge from the swamp, we can prepare in advance."

Merlin thought for a moment and nodded. "You are right, Young Master. We should build a lookout. I will make arrangements after lunch. You needn't worry about it; you should use your time to read more books."

Zhao Hai was stunned by her words. He truly hadn't expected Merlin to suggest he read more. However, since he planned to visit the study frequently anyway, he nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grandma Merlin, I will read. But there is too much happening in the castle lately. Once things have stabilized, I will focus on my reading."

Merlin nodded, but Meg and the others stared at Zhao Hai in disbelief. Merlin, Shitou, and Mutou had grown up with Adam and knew exactly what kind of person he was. Hearing Zhao Hai say he would study seriously was almost impossible to believe.

With the matters settled, everyone began to eat. Zhao Hai ate quite quickly and finished in no time. As soon as he was done, he headed straight for the study; he truly wanted to understand more about this world.

Seeing Zhao Hai head back to the study, Merlin's eyes lit up with joy. Although this world valued martial prowess above all else, a learned person was still highly respected. Even in the AKS Empire, many important administrative positions were held by renowned scholars, because kings had discovered that a nation could not function without intellectuals.

This was another reason for Merlin's happiness. Because Zhao Hai had drunk the Water of Void, it was impossible for him to learn magic or battle qi. Now that he had his Space, it served as a sanctuary—if he couldn't win a fight, he could hide in the Space where no one could touch him. But that alone wasn't enough; he still needed the respect of others. When one cannot master magic or battle qi, there is only one way to earn respect: through scholarship.

(End of Chapter)