Chapter 28: The Horse Bone

Zhao Hai was very clear that his space had no offensive capabilities, nor did it have any active defensive abilities. Its only function, besides growing vegetables, was to let him hide inside.

Zhao Hai had little confidence in using his space to deal with the Corpse Swamp. After all, the Corpse Swamp was one of the five forbidden zones on the continent, and it was home to undead creatures and poisonous magical beasts. His space had no offensive power, so how could he use it to deal with the Corpse Swamp?

Time passed unnoticed, and Zhao Hai could not think of any good solutions. In the end, he decided that if the magical beasts from the Corpse Swamp came out, they would have to rely on the castle to fight them. If that didn't work, he would have to bring everyone into his space. The space had more than ten acres of land, which should be enough to accommodate everyone.

Just then, Zhao Hai suddenly heard a commotion outside. He looked up and saw that it was almost noon, and the slaves should be returning for lunch.

Zhao Hai had just stood up to go outside when he saw Meg, Mu Tou, and Shi Tou quickly walk in. The three of them immediately approached Zhao Hai and bowed, saying, "Young Master."

Zhao Hai nodded and smiled at them, saying, "Arrange for the slaves to eat. The corn stalks and cobs outside can be used for firewood. If they feel cold at night, let them use those to keep warm."

Meg looked at Zhao Hai in confusion and asked, "Young Master, what is corn?"

Zhao Hai smiled and explained, "Corn is the main crop we will plant in the future. It can yield over two thousand pounds per acre. The stalks and cobs can also be used for firewood. I've already discussed this with Grandma Melin. We will plant corn from now on."

Meg's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhao Hai, saying, "Young Master, is the yield of corn really that high?"

Zhao Hai nodded and smiled, saying, "Yes, it is. Go ahead and arrange for them to eat. Grandma Melin is almost done cooking. After you've arranged for them, come back and eat as well. I have something to say later." The three of them nodded and turned to leave for the outer castle.

At this moment, Melin also came out of the house. She had heard the commotion outside but didn't pay much attention. Melin knew Meg well and was confident that he could handle the situation outside. She turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Young Master, come and eat. The food is ready."

Zhao Hai nodded and followed Melin to the dining room. Melin went to the kitchen to bring the food, while Zhao Hai sat in the dining room, lost in thought. He realized that he was becoming increasingly lazy. In the past, on Earth, he had to prepare all three meals and clean the house by himself, doing all the household chores alone.

Here on the Ark Continent, he was a young master. If he wanted, he wouldn't even have to dress himself, let alone do any household chores. To be honest, habits were a terrifying thing. In just a few days, Zhao Hai had already gotten used to having others serve him.

While he was lost in thought, Melin came in with the food tray. The food they were eating was still quite simple: bread, vegetables, and some meat, which was only for Zhao Hai. Mu Tou and Shi Tou didn't get any.

Although the food was simple, Zhao Hai could see Melin's concern for him in it. In the entire castle, everything he used was the best, and the food he ate was the best. The entire castle revolved around him, which made Zhao Hai feel both grateful and pressured.

He was not a spoiled noble like Adam Buda. He was a responsible man. The better Melin and the others treated him, the more pressure he felt. These people lived centered around him, meaning they relied on him for survival. Although the Buda family had fallen on hard times, as long as he was alive, the Buda family still existed, and these people would not be bullied by other nobles. This might be enough for Melin and the others.

However, Zhao Hai was not satisfied. Since these people lived centered around him, he had a responsibility to make their lives better. Given the current situation, the pressure on him was immense.

Melin noticed that Zhao Hai wasn't eating and was staring at the food tray, thinking he was dissatisfied with the lunch. She quickly said, "Young Master, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

Zhao Hai snapped back to reality and turned to Melin with a smile, saying, "No, Grandma Melin, the food is very good. I was just thinking about when I can make it so that everyone in the castle can eat such meals. Then I would be satisfied."

Melin's eyes welled up, and she looked at Zhao Hai with a smile, saying, "As long as Young Master's space is here, there will be a day when we can achieve that. I believe in you, Young Master."

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Yes, there will be a day." As he spoke, Meg and the others came in, and Melin immediately went to the kitchen to bring out the food she had prepared for them.

When they were almost done eating, Zhao Hai turned to Melin and said, "Grandma Melin, arrange for them to go and mine stones this afternoon. This is the top priority now. I'll take care of the valley. You just need to take me there and bring me back every day."

After seeing Zhao Hai's amazing performance in the space, Melin's confidence in him had greatly increased. She immediately nodded and said, "Alright, I'll organize them to mine stones this afternoon. Young Master, you rest well this afternoon."

Zhao Hai nodded. He knew he couldn't help much now. Due to drinking the Void Water, his body was weaker than the slaves who had been working hard for years. Besides, Melin and the others wouldn't let him mine stones.

After eating and resting for a while, Melin immediately organized the slaves to go and mine stones. They still had some tools for mining stones. The stones used to build the castle were of good quality, so they were not damaged much. They mainly mined stones to make stone weapons.

These stone weapons were not very difficult to make, mostly consisting of stone spears, hammers, and axes. They couldn't make weapons with too much power.

Although they only had a hundred people, and only fifty of them were able-bodied male slaves, they couldn't prepare too few weapons. Stone weapons were prone to damage, so everyone needed to have several spare weapons.

Additionally, they needed to mine more stones to place on the castle walls as rolling stones. From the beginning, Zhao Hai and the others had never planned to engage in a direct battle with the undead creatures and poisonous magical beasts. They didn't have the ability to do so. They could only defend the castle, and even then, only if the number of undead creatures was small. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hold out.

However, a problem arose. Although this place used to be an iron mine, it had already been mined by the dwarves. The areas in the mountain's belly that could be mined had now become a mountain lake. So, Melin and the others spent the entire afternoon just trying to find a suitable mining site.

In the end, they found a small mine not far from the castle, but it couldn't produce many stones. Melin couldn't help but sigh, thinking that the mine, after being mined by the dwarves, was like it had been plundered, so clean that it made her want to cry.

After spending the afternoon searching, Melin and the others had to return to the castle in disappointment. They realized that mining stones to make weapons was not feasible. First, they had no experience in mining stones, and second, their tools were not very suitable, making their work efficiency too low. Moreover, there weren't many stones, and even if they mined all of them, it wouldn't be enough. In the end, Melin had to tell Zhao Hai about the situation, and the plan had to be canceled.

Zhao Hai really did rest in the afternoon. His physical strength was not good, and after exercising in the morning and walking such a long distance, he was very tired. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

When he woke up, Melin and the others had already returned. Hearing Melin's words, Zhao Hai had no choice but to wait. He would have to wait for Green to return, sell the radishes, and then buy weapons from outside.

During the time before Green returned, they could do nothing. If the undead creatures and poisonous magical beasts from the Corpse Swamp really attacked, they would have to hide in the space.

Just as Zhao Hai was at a loss, Meg suddenly ran in excitedly and said, "Young Master, I have some good news." Since Zhao Hai had first improved the land, Meg had changed. She no longer bowed her head when she saw Zhao Hai and had become more natural and lively.

Zhao Hai and Melin were both surprised, and Melin immediately asked, "What is it?"

Meg smiled and said, "Grandma, a slave just came to me. He said he can weave grass and can make various things like mats, curtains, and sandals from the grass on the mountain."

Zhao Hai was taken aback, then his eyes lit up. He thought this was an opportunity. In the rules he had set to free the slaves, he had stated that anyone with a special skill and good behavior could be freed. However, in the past few days, none of the slaves had come forward to say they had a special skill, even though they worked hard. Zhao Hai was disappointed.

Zhao Hai knew that the slaves couldn't change their mindset quickly. They were afraid and didn't dare to show their skills. Changing this situation would take a long time and require someone to set an example.

The slaves had been oppressed for too long, and their minds were rigid. It would take a long time for them to accept the new rules.

Zhao Hai had been mentally prepared for this, but he didn't expect the slaves to surprise him today. Someone had actually come forward, even though it was just a minor skill. This was a good start. When Zhao Hai set the rules, he had the intention of "buying a horse bone with a thousand gold pieces." Now, the horse bone had appeared.