Chapter 22: Maturity

Zhao Hai frowned and said, "Could there be danger? Grandma Merlin, if it's dangerous, let's not raise fish for now. No matter how important fish farming is, it's not as important as your safety."

Merlin looked somewhat agitated, but she still smiled and said, "Don't worry, Young Master. Nothing will happen. I am, after all, an eighth-rank water mage; dealing with a magic beast is easy for me."

Seeing Merlin's full confidence, Zhao Hai could only nod and say, "Alright then. However, we can put this matter on hold for a bit. Tomorrow, we still need to organize people to properly inspect the surrounding areas for suitable land for improvement. Improving the land must come first."

Merlin also nodded. Although commerce on the Ark Continent was highly developed, the Buda family did not place much importance on it. They were nobles, and in their eyes, land was the key.

Meg and the others did not interrupt. When Zhao Hai and Merlin were discussing matters, Meg and the rest generally stayed silent. There was no need to mention Mu Tou and Shi Tou; the two of them weren't very bright to begin with—they simply did whatever they were told. Asking them for opinions would be like playing the lute to a cow. Although Meg was very intelligent, she was still too young, and she hadn't lived in an information-saturated era like Zhao Hai; she still had much to learn. Regarding the matters being discussed by Zhao Hai and Merlin, she truly couldn't chime in.

Zhao Hai quickly finished dinner, sat in the living room for a while drinking some cocoa, and then returned to his room. Currently, there wasn't much to do at the castle; once everything was arranged, there was no need to worry too much.

There were no places for entertainment here; it was completely isolated from the world. At night, there was really nothing to do besides sleep. Zhao Hai went to his room because he wanted to check on the situation inside the Space a bit earlier.

Now that night had come, Zhao Hai felt quite bored. Back on Earth, he had been a shut-in, and shut-ins usually stayed up very late. During these past few days here, he had been too busy to sleep at night, but since he had slept during the day today, he couldn't sleep now. Naturally, he had to head into the Space to take a good look.

The Space remained the same, but the corn seedlings and radish sprouts had already grown. Fortunately, there were no pests. Looking at those pleasingly growing seedlings, Zhao Hai felt a slight surge of excitement in his heart.

These seedlings represented hope—the hope of his survival in this foreign world. Zhao Hai had no great ambitions; he only wanted to live well here.

Back on Earth, he had been a shut-in living off meager manuscript royalties. He had no ambition and only wanted to live his own small life.

Now in this world, he had obtained Adam's body and knew of Adam's background. He knew Adam held a great vendetta, but Zhao Hai also knew that this vendetta would not be easy to settle; they would be facing an entire Empire.

Even when the Buda family was at its peak, they had been beaten into their current state. With their current strength, they would be lucky just to preserve their lives, let alone seek revenge.

Although he had the Space Farm as a "cheat," the Space Farm had one major flaw: it lacked offensive capabilities.

The Space Farm was good for growing vegetables and storing things, but it had no combat power. On the Ark Continent, the truly powerful were precisely those who excelled at combat. A mage like Merlin could kill a thousand people instantly with magic. Compared to Merlin, Zhao Hai was less than a newborn; he was merely an ant. If Merlin wanted to crush him, it would only take a single finger.

It was precisely because of this that Zhao Hai was determined to keep a low profile. If the old noble families discovered he possessed such an ability, they might move to kill him immediately.

Fortunately, Zhao Hai had fully assimilated Adam's memories. Although Adam had been a good-for-nothing, he still understood some common knowledge of the continent. Zhao Hai was not the kind of idiot who thought he was the center of the universe the moment he transmigrated. He knew that if he dared to be that high-profile, he would be the first to die.

The nature of the Space Farm determined that Zhao Hai could never become an invincible master. Furthermore, since Adam had already drunk the Water of Void, let alone becoming a master, he couldn't even become a low-level combatant.

Currently, Zhao Hai's greatest reliance was nothing more than the Space Farm, but such a sudden acquisition left him feeling uncertain. He feared that just as suddenly as he had gained this thing, he might lose it.

This sense of urgency made Zhao Hai constantly think about how to build up his fiefdom as quickly as possible. Although he could improve the black soil of the fiefdom every day, it was precisely because of this that he was even more worried.

Once they arrived at the Black Soil Wasteland, would the old nobles let them be? Not necessarily. Those people would surely send someone to watch them. If they truly discovered that the activity here was too significant, the old nobles would not be polite.

Sitting in the Space, Zhao Hai summarized his thoughts repeatedly, eventually arriving at two words: "low profile." Or rather, one sentence: "It is best to make a fortune in silence."

Even though he knew the radishes and corn in the Space were growing well, Zhao Hai still watered them. He was now tending to these seedlings with utmost care; they represented his hope.

Watering in the Space was very convenient. With just a thought, the spring water in the Space would rise as if lifted by an invisible force, floating above the land before raining down.

Seeing the soil gradually moisten, Zhao Hai stopped immediately. He knew he couldn't water too much, or the corn might suffer from root rot.

Once finished, Zhao Hai exited the Space Farm and looked at the sky outside; it had turned completely dark. The slaves had already gone to sleep, and there were no lights on in the castle. The entire castle seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber with the arrival of night.

In such a quiet environment, Zhao Hai's heart gradually calmed down. He knew that his current worrying was redundant. The path must be taken step by step. His primary task now was to solve the food problem for the hundred people at the castle—not only to ensure they were full, but that they ate well.

Responsibility—Zhao Hai felt the weight of this word deeply. Back on Earth, he was the type who could eat his fill without worrying about anyone else, but after coming here, the food and clothing of these hundred-plus people, the future of the Buda family, and all these burdens were pressed upon his shoulders. Thus, he moved with extreme caution, fearing even the slightest mistake.

The courage to bear responsibility is also a sign of a man's maturity. Zhao Hai was more mature now than he had been on Earth, because reality forced him to be.

After standing quietly by the window for a while, Zhao Hai finally returned to his bed. Even if he couldn't sleep, he had to lie down. Since resources were currently scarce, he couldn't afford to waste them. Unknowingly, he eventually fell asleep in bed.

"Ding-dong, the radishes have matured. Please harvest them as soon as possible."

The farm's notification woke Zhao Hai once again. He sat up abruptly and immediately entered the Space. Sure enough, the radishes in the Space had matured, and the corn had grown over a meter tall, with the corn cobs already taking shape. At this stage, they could be picked and boiled to eat.

However, Zhao Hai did not move. He was counting on this corn to serve as seeds. Picking a few now seemed insignificant, but if he waited for the corn to fully mature and used it as seed outside, he could plant quite a lot of land.

Zhao Hai immediately harvested the radishes, then promptly bought a bag of radish seeds from the Space Shop and planted them in the ground. He then used the Space's spring water to wash them thoroughly, which instantly refreshed him.

Zhao Hai then ran over to the cornfield to inspect the plants. The corn was growing very well, and the cobs were already well-formed. Once they reached full maturity, they could be harvested.

Zhao Hai nodded in satisfaction, left the Space Farm, and returned to his room. Looking out the window, the sky was beginning to brighten. Zhao Hai no longer felt sleepy, so he opened his door and walked out.

The space outside was quite pleasant. Although the castle was located on a barren mountain, it still had mountains and water. Furthermore, since it was only April, the morning was still a bit cool. Taking a few breaths of the crisp air, Zhao Hai couldn't help but feel refreshed.

Since there was nothing to do so early, and thinking that his physical condition was not very good—Adam had been a profligate, unlearned, and hedonistic wastrel who had already ruined his body, and drinking the Water of Void had made it even weaker—Zhao Hai decided to go for a run to exercise. Even if he couldn't become a master, he at least wanted to be a healthy person.

After running for a short while, the slaves began to wake up one after another. They all looked at Zhao Hai running around the castle with some surprise, wondering what he was doing.

Zhao Hai's body was truly too weak; after only a short run, he was already panting heavily. Having no choice, he had to stop and slowly adjust his breathing as he walked back toward the castle.

Despite the short run, he felt refreshed and much more energetic. By the time Zhao Hai returned to the castle, Merlin and the others had long since woken up. However, they hadn't expected Zhao Hai to rise so early; they thought he was still sleeping in his room. Seeing him enter from outside, they were all quite surprised.

Zhao Hai greeted them, washed his face, and then came to the living room, sitting there to wait for Merlin to prepare breakfast.