Chapter 28: Horse Bone

Zhao Hai knew very well that his space possessed no offensive capabilities, nor even any active defensive abilities. Its sole utility, aside from growing vegetables, was likely providing him a place to hide.

Zhao Hai had little confidence in using the space to deal with the Corpse Swamp. One must not forget that the Corpse Swamp was one of the five great forbidden zones of the continent, inhabited by undead creatures and venomous magical beasts. Since the space lacked offensive power, how could he possibly use it to confront such a place?

Time passed unnoticed, and Zhao Hai could not come up with a good solution. Ultimately, he decided that if the magical beasts from the Corpse Swamp emerged, they would have to rely on the castle to fight them first. If that proved insufficient, his only option would be to bring everyone into the space. With over ten acres of land inside, it could certainly accommodate them.

Just then, Zhao Hai suddenly heard a commotion outside. He looked up and realized it was nearly noon; the slaves should be returning for their meal.

As Zhao Hai stood up to investigate, he saw Meg, Wood, and Stone walking briskly into the room. Upon seeing him, the three immediately approached and bowed. "Young Master," they said.

Zhao Hai nodded and said with a smile, "Go and make some arrangements. Those corn stalks and cobs lying in the open field are for firewood. If the slaves feel cold tonight, let them use those for warmth."

Meg looked at Zhao Hai with confusion. "Young Master, what is that 'corn'?"

Zhao Hai smiled. "Corn is the main crop we will be planting in the future. The yield can reach over two thousand catties per mu. The stalks and cobs can also be used for firewood. I have already discussed this with Grandma Merlin; from now on, we will be growing corn."

Meg's eyes lit up. "Young Master, is the yield of that corn really that high?"

Zhao Hai nodded with a smile. "It is true. Now, go arrange their meal. Grandma Merlin will have the food ready soon. Once you've settled them, come back to eat as well; I have something to say in a moment." The three nodded and turned to head toward the outer fort.

At that moment, Merlin also emerged from the house. She had heard the commotion outside but didn't pay it much mind, knowing Meg could handle things. She turned to Zhao Hai. "Young Master, come and eat. The meal is ready."

Zhao Hai nodded and followed Merlin into the dining room. As Merlin went to the kitchen to fetch the food, Zhao Hai sat blankly in the dining room. He realized he seemed to be getting lazier. Back on Earth, he had to prepare all three meals a day and clean the rooms; he had performed every chore himself.

Here on the Ark Continent, he was a young master. If he wished, he wouldn't even have to dress himself, let alone do housework. To be honest, habit was a terrifying thing; in just a few days, Zhao Hai had already grown accustomed to having others attend to his every need.

Lost in thought, Merlin entered with a tray. Their food was still very simple: bread, vegetables, and some meat. The meat was reserved only for Zhao Hai; Wood, Stone, and the others received none.

Though the food was simple, Zhao Hai could see Merlin's care in it. Within the entire castle, he used the best items and ate the best food. The entire castle revolved around him. This feeling made Zhao Hai feel deeply grateful, yet also under immense pressure.

He was not a profligate like Adam Buda; he was a man of responsibility. The better Merlin and the others treated him, the more pressure he felt. These people lived centered around him, meaning their survival depended on him. Although the Buda family had fallen on hard times, as long as he lived, the Buda family existed, and these people could avoid being bullied by other nobles. Perhaps for Merlin and the others, this was enough.

But Zhao Hai was not satisfied. Since they lived centered around him, he had a responsibility to make their lives better. Given the current circumstances, the pressure to improve their lives was truly heavy.

Noticing that Zhao Hai was staring blankly at his tray instead of eating, Merlin thought he was dissatisfied with the meal and hurriedly asked, "Young Master, what is wrong? Is the food not to your taste?"

Zhao Hai snapped out of it and gave Merlin a slight smile. "No, Grandma Merlin, the food is wonderful. I was just thinking about when I will be able to let everyone in the castle eat meals like this. Only then will I be satisfied."

Merlin's eyes reddened. She looked at Zhao Hai and smiled. "As long as you have your space, Young Master, you will achieve it sooner or later. I believe in you."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Yes, that day will come." Just as he spoke, Meg and the other two returned. Merlin immediately went to the kitchen to bring out the meals prepared for them.

When they had nearly finished eating, Zhao Hai turned to Merlin. "Grandma Merlin, arrange for them to go stone quarrying this afternoon. Let's make that our top priority. I will handle the matters at the valley; you just need to transport me there and back every day."

Having witnessed Zhao Hai's miraculous feats within his space, Merlin's confidence in him had grown immensely. She nodded immediately. "Alright. I will organize them to go quarrying this afternoon. Young Master, please take the afternoon to rest."

Zhao Hai nodded. He knew he couldn't help much right now; due to drinking the Water of Void, his physical strength was currently inferior to that of the slaves who labored year-round. Furthermore, Merlin and the others wouldn't let him go quarrying himself.

After eating and resting for a while, Merlin organized the slaves to go stone quarrying. They possessed some tools, and since the stones used to build the castle were of good quality, there wasn't much damage to the existing structures. Their primary goal was to quarry stone to manufacture stone weapons.

Making these stone weapons was not particularly difficult; they would mostly consist of stone spears, hammers, and axes. They couldn't make anything with great destructive power.

Although they only had about a hundred people, and only about fifty were able-bodied male slaves capable of fighting, they could not afford to have too few weapons. Stone weapons broke easily, so everyone needed several spares.

Additionally, he needed to quarry more stone to use as facing stones for the castle walls. After all, from the very beginning when they prepared weapons, Zhao Hai had never intended to engage in direct combat with undead or venomous magical beasts. They lacked the capability; they could only rely on the castle for defense—and even then, only if the undead attacks were infrequent. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hold out at all.

However, problems arose immediately. Although this area had once been an iron mine, it was one that had already been exploited by the Dwarves. Furthermore, the area within the mountain where stone could actually be quarried had turned into a mountain lake. Consequently, Merlin and the others spent the entire afternoon just trying to open up a quarry site.

Finally, they found a small mine shaft not far from the castle that could be quarried, but it couldn't yield much stone. Merlin couldn't help but lament; this mine, once worked by the Dwarves, felt as though it had been looted—it was so clean it made one want to cry.

After working all afternoon, Merlin and the others had to return to the castle in frustration. They found that the plan to make stone weapons was unfeasible: first, they lacked experience in quarrying, and second, their tools were not very efficient, making their work too slow. Moreover, there wasn't enough stone; even if they quarried everything available, it wouldn't be enough. Ultimately, Merlin had to inform Zhao Hai, and the plan had to be canceled.

Zhao Hai had truly rested during the afternoon. His physical stamina was poor; after exercising in the morning and walking such a long distance, he was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

By the time he woke up, Merlin and the others had already returned. Hearing Merlin's report, Zhao Hai felt helpless. It seemed he could only wait—wait until Green returned, sell the radishes, and then purchase weapons from the outside.

While waiting for Green's return, they were effectively paralyzed. If the undead and venomous beasts from the Corpse Swamp truly attacked, their only option would be to hide in the space.

Just as Zhao Hai was at his wits' end, Meg suddenly ran in from outside, looking excited. Upon entering the room, she happily said to Zhao Hai, "Young Master, there is good news!" Ever since Zhao Hai had first improved the land, Meg had changed unconsciously; after she had excitedly hugged him once, she no longer kept her head bowed when she saw him. She was much more natural and lively than before.

Zhao Hai and Merlin were both startled. Merlin immediately asked, "What is it?"

Meg smiled and said, "Grandma, a slave just came to find me. He said he knows how to weave grass. He can weave various things from the grass on the mountain—mats, curtains, straw sandals, anything."

Zhao Hai froze, then his eyes lit up. He saw this as a turning point. In the regulations he had set regarding the lifting of slave status, he had stated that anyone with a specialized skill who performed well could have their status revoked. However, in the past few days, not a single slave had come forward to declare a skill. Although they worked hard, Zhao Hai had been disappointed.

Zhao Hai understood that the slaves couldn't change their mindset overnight. They were afraid, so they didn't dare to show off. Changing this situation would require a very long process and someone to act as a role model.

Those slaves had been oppressed for too long; their thinking had become rigid. It would take a long time for them to accept these new regulations.

Zhao Hai had been mentally prepared for this, but he hadn't expected the slaves to surprise him today. Someone had actually taken the initiative to step forward. Although the skill mentioned was humble, it was an excellent start. When Zhao Hai set that regulation, he had intended to "buy the bones of a thousand horses" (to attract talent by rewarding the first to show merit). Now, the bones had finally appeared.