Chapter 10: Hope

Zhao Hai stood there until the sun had fully risen, his emotions finally calming down. Indeed, this was the first sunrise he had seen in this world, and the magnificent view made him feel refreshed and filled with enthusiasm, which was why he couldn't help but speak those words.

When Zhao Hai turned around, he noticed that Green and the others were standing below the city wall, with a hundred slaves behind them. It was clear that these slaves had been carefully selected, with an equal number of men and women, all of them strong and healthy, and none of them sick. They were also well-groomed, and their clothes were clean. However, each male slave had a brand on his forehead, a fierce dragon with its mouth open and claws extended, which was the emblem of the Buda family, created based on the name of their family's inherited martial arts.

As soon as Green saw that Zhao Hai had noticed them, he immediately bowed deeply and said loudly, "Young Master, the glory of the Buda family will shine across the entire land. Please, Young Master, give us your instructions." After he finished speaking, the slaves behind him all knelt down, their heads touching the ground, and not a single one dared to look up at Zhao Hai.

In his previous life, Zhao Hai was just an ordinary otaku, and he had never seen such a scene before. For a moment, he was stunned, at a loss for what to do or say.

After a while, his emotions slowly calmed down. Seeing that Green and the others were still bent over, he quickly said, "Grandpa Green, please stand up, and everyone else, please stand up as well. We have come to a place where there is nothing, the land cannot be cultivated, and there are no minerals in the mountains. We only have this abandoned castle as our home. And you, all of you, now share a common surname, Buda. Whether you like it or not, you have been branded with the Buda family's mark. You are now part of the Buda family. As long as the Buda family exists, you have a reason to exist. If the Buda family disappears, you will also disappear. This is an unchangeable fact. Yes, we have nothing now, but we have our hands. Everything in this world is created by human hands. We each have a pair of hands, so we will not starve. We will make our lives better. Most of you are slaves, and you might think that the quality of life doesn't matter to you because, no matter how good life gets, you are still slaves. But today, I want to say that as long as you work hard and contribute to the Buda family, I can free you from your slave status and make you commoners. Your children will not be slaves. They may one day join the Buda family's army and become honored warriors. If they perform well, they might even become knights or nobles. I demand the best from you, and I will give you the best. As long as you work hard, I, Adam Buda, swear by my family's honor that I will fulfill my promise today!"

A slight commotion arose among the slaves. These slaves, before being bought, had all been professionally trained and were not allowed to move during their master's speech, even if they needed to pass gas. Such a commotion was not supposed to happen.

However, Zhao Hai's words were truly shocking. On the continent, no noble had ever turned slaves into commoners. Once you became a slave, you and your descendants would remain slaves for generations, an unchangeable fact.

If Zhao Hai had just spoken these words without a pledge, the slaves would not have believed him. But Zhao Hai had sworn by the Buda family's honor. On the Ark Continent, nobles did not make oaths lightly, and if they did, they would not use their family's honor. This was the most important thing to all nobles. Once a noble swore by their family's honor, they would definitely keep their word. This meant that everything Zhao Hai said was true!

What is a slave's greatest wish? To become a commoner, to regain their freedom, and to ensure that their descendants do not suffer the fate of slaves. Many slaves had rebelled and revolted for this, but they were quickly suppressed by the nobles because they were just slaves, without weapons, armor, or martial arts. In such a situation, they could not possibly defeat the well-armed noble armies.

Now, Zhao Hai was telling them that they did not need to rebel. As long as they worked hard and contributed to the Buda family, they could become commoners. This was like a dream come true for the slaves.

Slaves had to work hard, or they would be executed if discovered. Even if they were not executed, they would face the harshest punishments. So, no one dared to slack off. Now, someone was telling them that if they worked hard, they could get what they most desired. This was a huge shock to them.

Green and the others were also stunned. They had not expected Zhao Hai to say such things. To be honest, Green did not entirely agree with Zhao Hai's approach. The slaves needed to work hard, and no noble on the continent would turn a slave into a commoner. There were too many implications involved.

But now that Zhao Hai had spoken, there was no way to contradict him. They could only discuss the situation with Zhao Hai later when they returned to the inner castle.

Looking at the people below, Zhao Hai knew that their reaction was already quite good. From Adam's memories, he already knew the status of these slaves. Knowing this, he used what they most desired to motivate them.

Human creativity is boundless. As long as you give them hope, the energy they can unleash is unimaginable. Now, Zhao Hai needed them to unleash this energy, which was why he took this approach.

Zhao Hai was quite satisfied with their reaction and continued, "You can think of various ways to benefit the Buda family or improve our lives. If you create something useful, you can bring it to Chief Green. If I determine that what you have created is useful and good, I will record it as a merit. Once your merits reach a certain level, you can become a commoner. Even if you cannot create anything, as long as you work hard and perform well, you can earn a merit. Once you accumulate enough merits, you can become a commoner, a member of the Buda family and the Black Earth territory."

The slaves were even more excited. They now almost regarded Zhao Hai as a god because only a god could be so merciful. A sense of determination erupted from the slaves, so strong that even Green, an eighth-level warrior, felt a bit uneasy.

Green turned to look at the slaves and noticed that they seemed to have gained something. Previously, he always felt that the slaves were lifeless, like stones. But now, they seemed more human, with more vitality and determination.

Green was shaken. He suddenly understood Zhao Hai's approach. If the Buda family was to develop, relying on a hundred lifeless slaves would be impossible. But with a hundred determined people, it would be a completely different story. Green didn't know what a hundred determined people could achieve, but he knew exactly what a hundred slaves could do. He took a deep breath, a genuine smile appearing on his face, and a hint of determination in his eyes. He believed that the Buda family's opportunity to rise again was coming.

Zhao Hai also sensed the changes in the slaves and smiled, knowing that his words had taken effect. He immediately said, "Good, go and work. First, arrange these supplies. You will have new tasks tomorrow." The slaves responded and quickly walked toward the supplies, their steps much more forceful and full of determination.

Zhao Hai nodded in satisfaction, descended from the city wall, and slowly walked to Green's side. "Grandpa Green, let's go back. I have some things to ask you."

Green responded and led Merlin and the others, following Zhao Hai back to the inner castle. Looking at Zhao Hai's back, Green knew that Zhao Hai had truly changed. He was no longer the mischievous young master Adam but was now the head of the Buda family, a true leader.

They quickly arrived at the inner castle's dining room. After sitting down, Zhao Hai flipped his hand, and the half-eaten carrot he had left appeared in his hand. He placed the carrot on the table and said to Green, "Grandpa Green, do you know what this is?"

Green did not speak, and Zhao Hai looked at him curiously, noticing that Green was staring at his hand in a daze. He knew why Green had this expression because of the way he had taken out the carrot.

On this continent, there was also spatial magic, but it was extremely difficult to learn and required very strict conditions, so few people studied it. Although there were spatial items for storage, opening them required energy, whether magical or martial. Even if he had such items, he could not open them because he had drunk the Void Water.

Zhao Hai smiled slightly and said, "Grandpa Green, do you know what this is?"

Green suddenly came to his senses, stood up excitedly, and said, "Young Master, you just now? You just now..."

Zhao Hai waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, it's a power I obtained by chance. Just know about it and don't tell anyone. Take a look at what this is."