Chapter 10

Zhao Hai remained agitated until the sun had fully risen above the ground. Indeed, this was the first sunrise he had seen in this foreign world. The magnificent view left him feeling refreshed and filled with enthusiasm, which led him to speak his thoughts aloud.

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 now neatly groomed and dressed in clean clothes. 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, designed based on their family’s inherited combat technique.

Seeing that Zhao Hai had noticed them, Green immediately bowed and loudly said, "Young Master, the glory of the Buda family will surely shine across the entire land. Please give us your instructions." As he finished speaking, the slaves behind him all knelt down, their heads touching the ground, not daring 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. He was momentarily stunned, at a loss for what to say.

After a while, his emotions gradually calmed down. Seeing that Green and the others were still bowing, he quickly said, "Grandpa Green, please stand up, and everyone else, please stand up as well. We have arrived in 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 shelter. You all 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. Each of us has 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 does not concern 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 honorable 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. They were trained to remain still during their master’s speech, even if they needed to hold in their flatulence. Such a disturbance 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 rarely used 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 same fate. Many slaves had rebelled and revolted, but they were quickly suppressed by the nobles. As slaves, they had no weapons, no armor, and no combat skills. They could not fight against 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 or severely punished. So, they never 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 did not expect Zhao Hai to say such things. To be honest, Green did not entirely agree with Zhao Hai’s approach. 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 retract his words. Green could only discuss the situation with Zhao Hai later in the inner castle.

Looking at the people below, Zhao Hai knew that their reaction was already quite good. From Adam’s memories, he understood 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. Zhao Hai needed this energy now, so he took this approach.

Zhao Hai was satisfied with their reaction and continued, "You can come up with various ideas. As long as they benefit the Buda family or improve our lives, you can bring them to Chief Steward Green. If I determine that your ideas are useful and good, I will record your contributions. Once your contributions reach a certain level, you can become a commoner. Even if you have no special skills, as long as you work hard and perform well, you will earn a contribution. Once your contributions accumulate to a certain level, you can become a commoner, a member of the Buda family and the Black Earth territory."

The slaves were even more excited. They now regarded Zhao Hai as a god, for only a god could be so merciful. A surge of energy erupted from the slaves, so powerful 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. Now, they seemed more human, with a newfound vitality and enthusiasm.

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 enthusiastic people, it would be a completely different story. Green did not know what a hundred enthusiastic people could achieve, but he knew exactly what a hundred lifeless slaves could do. He took a deep breath, a genuine smile spreading across his face, and a sense of determination filled his heart. He believed that the Buda family’s chance to rise again was coming.

Zhao Hai also sensed the change in the slaves. He 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 enthusiasm.

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 questions for 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. He was now the head of the Buda family, a true leader.

They soon arrived at the inner castle’s dining room. After sitting down, Zhao Hai flipped his hand, and the half-eaten carrot 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 respond. Zhao Hai looked at him curiously and saw that Green was staring at his hand in a daze. He knew why Green had this expression, because of the way he had produced the carrot.

On this continent, there was also spatial magic, but it was extremely difficult to learn and required very strict conditions. Therefore, few people studied it. Although there were spatial storage devices, opening them required energy, whether magical or combat energy. Even if he had such a device, he could not open it, let alone the fact that he did not have one.

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

Green snapped back to reality and stood up excitedly, "Young Master, you just... you just..."

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. Now, look at this. What is it?"