Chapter 25: Getting Smarter

Zhao Hai and Merlin stared blankly at the valley. The cave they had just emerged from led directly into it. The valley was not particularly large, spanning only about a thousand mu, and the ground was covered in black soil, identical to the soil on the Black Soil Wasteland.

In the middle of the valley sat a pool about ten meters in diameter, its water crystal clear. On the cliff wall opposite the cave entrance where Zhao Hai and the others had emerged, there was another opening. That opening was slightly smaller than theirs, and it was evident that it was also a mine shaft.

Upon seeing these mine shafts, Zhao Hai couldn't help but feel admiration for the dwarves. They had actually hollowed out such a massive mountain range and established so many mine shafts; just how much labor would such an undertaking require? It was truly difficult to imagine how they had achieved it.

Zhao Hai scanned the surroundings, nodded, and said, "This is quite impressive. Mutou, you've done well. Tell me, how did you discover this entrance?"

Mutou grinned and said, "Young Master, when I first saw this canyon, I jumped down from the cliffs into the valley and discovered these two openings. The other opening was filled with water and had no exit, but this one has a way out. I walked from the inside to the outside."

Zhao Hai nodded. Now that Mutou had explained it, he understood; the fellow had walked from the inside of the cave toward the exit, which was why he had been able to find the cave leading out.

Merlin was also surveying this patch of black soil. Just as Mutou had said, this place was truly perfect. Although it would take some time to improve the land, this valley was incredibly suitable for farming, and it would be difficult for an ordinary person to discover.

Merlin wandered around the cave. It was an irregular circular shape, and inside there were no large rocks or obstructions; aside from the black soil, there was only that pool of water. It was an excellent place for cultivation.

Zhao Hai was also surveying the area, nodding as he looked around. He was extremely satisfied. Not only could the land be farmed, but because of the pool, irrigation would be much easier. Even if the water in the pool wasn't enough, there were two mountain lakes within the caves on either side, providing plenty of water.

Seeing Zhao Hai nodding, Mutou knew he was satisfied and hurriedly said, "Young Master, have you noticed that there is something different here?"

Zhao Hai paused and looked around, but he didn't see anything unusual. He shook his head and said, "I don't see anything different."

Mutou smiled and said, "Young Master, don't you feel it? The temperature in this canyon is higher than on the mountain. And look at the grass growing on the cliff walls; it's much longer than the grass outside. It is currently spring, so while the wild grass has grown, it isn't very tall. The reason it felt difficult to walk when we arrived was because the ground was covered in dry grass, which is tough and tends to trip you up. But the grass on the canyon walls is fresh growth, and it's so long that many of them have already gone to seed. This proves that this valley is not affected by cold winds and maintains a constant temperature. If that's the case, this place can be farmed all year round. It truly is a wonderful place."

Zhao Hai looked in the direction Mutou was pointing and indeed saw a great deal of wild grass growing on the cliff walls. This grass was quite different from the grass outside. The grass outside looked green, but upon closer inspection, that greenness was merely new growth emerging from beneath withered grass, and it wasn't very long. However, the grass here was growing very long.

Zhao Hai nodded involuntarily. He had also found it strange; since this canyon was located on a mountain, the soil here should have been similar to the soil on the mountain, rather than the black soil found elsewhere. Yet, the soil in this canyon happened to be exactly like the black soil on the Black Soil Wasteland, and he didn't know why.

At that moment, Merlin's voice suddenly rang out: "Well said! I didn't expect you to be such a keen observer, Mutou. When did you become so clever?"

Her comment left both Zhao Hai and Mutou stunned. Zhao Hai found it strange because, in his memory, Mutou was certainly not this smart. Not only was he not clever, he was a bit dim-witted; usually, he couldn't even speak clearly. How could he observe things so meticulously and speak so logically?

Mutou was also somewhat puzzled. He didn't know what was happening either. Ever since he had entered Zhao Hai's strange space once, it seemed as though he had suddenly gained insight; his observations had become more detailed, and his thinking more comprehensive.

However, Mutou usually had no opportunity to show off. He always stayed by Zhao Hai's side and followed his every command, so Merlin and the others hadn't noticed anything unusual about him. It was only when he spoke up today that Merlin realized how different he had become.

Merlin had only said it in passing and didn't take it to heart. Seeing that the two were silent, she continued, "Young Master, this truly is a good place. I also feel it—just as Mutou said, it likely maintains this temperature year-round. Furthermore, the water elements in the air are very active. It is a magnificent place; once the land is improved, this will be the best farmland."

Zhao Hai nodded and said to Merlin, "Grandmother Merlin, why do you think the soil in this canyon is also black soil? Logically, the soil here should be the same as the soil on the mountain. If it were the same as the mountain soil, it would save us a lot of trouble."

Merlin smiled and said, "Don't be so greedy, Young Master. Finding such a place is already quite an achievement. You can take your time improving it; as long as you have a place, you have nothing to fear."

Zhao Hai smiled and said, "You're right, Grandmother Merlin. I am being a bit too greedy. This is indeed a wonderful place. However, there is still one problem. This area is about a thousand mu, and we currently have no magical beasts for farming. If we want to plant anything, we have to rely on manual labor. This means we will need many people. But since we are so far from the castle, it will take a long time for people to walk here. All that time will be wasted on the road, making it difficult to finish planting everything here."

Merlin laughed and said, "Young Master, have you forgotten? There is a mountain lake in these mountains. If this lake is indeed connected to the lake behind our castle, we can come by boat. This would both save time and provide better secrecy."

Zhao Hai was stunned; he truly hadn't thought of that. If they could travel by water, it would indeed be much faster than traveling by land, and it would be far more discreet.

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "That is a good idea. Fine, I will focus on improving these ten mu of land first." With a thought, the spatial portal appeared once again, and the ten mu of land in front of Zhao Hai would soon be transformed.

Although Merlin and Mutou had already seen Zhao Hai improve land once before, they were still unable to suppress their excitement upon seeing it again. Such an ability was absolutely unique on the continent; while it couldn't be used for killing, it was exactly what they needed most.

Once the ten mu of land were improved, Zhao Hai finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Merlin and said, "Grandmother Merlin, let's head back. It's a pity we don't have a boat. If we did, we could try returning by water to see if it leads directly to the back of the castle."

Merlin chuckled and said, "Young Master, have you forgotten? I am a water-element mage. With two or three people, we can travel across the water without a boat. Don't worry, we will return via the water route in a moment."

Zhao Hai was momentarily stunned before nodding. To be honest, although he had been on the Ark Continent for a few days, he was still not used to its various wonders. He constantly confused it with Earth. Things like using magic to carry people across water might be possible on Earth through science, but here, it was magic.

Zhao Hai nodded, looked at the land, and turned to Merlin with a smile. "Grandmother Merlin, let's head back too. I'm afraid Meg and Shitou won't be able to handle everything at home."

Merlin surveyed the area and found there was nothing left to note, so she nodded. "Alright, let's go back." With that, the three of them turned and walked back toward the cave they had entered from.

As they entered the cave, Merlin used a lighting spell to lead the way. Zhao Hai and Mutou followed behind her. This time, the three of them headed directly toward the sound of rushing water within the cave.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Merlin saw the mountain lake ahead. This lake was truly massive; aside from the sides blocked by the mountains, looking forward through the light, one could not see its boundaries.

Zhao Hai stood beside Merlin. Their current position was about three meters above the lake surface. Below them was a slope that had been constructed very gently, appearing to be something the dwarves had used to transport ore in the past.

The ground was paved entirely with stone, but because it was close to the water, it was covered in moss and was quite slippery.

Looking at the expanse of water, Zhao Hai sighed. "Who would have thought that such a blessed land would be hidden here in the Black Soil Wasteland? If we can figure out why there are no fish in this lake, we could start large-scale fish farming here."

Merlin nodded. "Indeed. With a lake this large, how many fish could we raise? In the future, this could become a major source of income for our Buda family."

Zhao Hai nodded and turned to Merlin. "Grandmother Merlin, let's head back. By the way, if there really are magical beasts in the water, will it be safe for us to cross the surface like this?"

Merlin smiled confidently. "Don't worry, Young Master. I guarantee nothing will happen." With that, she led the way toward the lakeshore. Zhao Hai followed cautiously behind. Mutou walked up to Zhao Hai's side and supported his arm; although the ground was slippery, Mutou walked as steady as a mountain.

(End of Chapter)