New Crisis

Chapter 26: New Crisis

Zhao Hai and Blockhead stood by the lakeside, while Merine stood beside them, reading an incantation in a low voice. Soon, a layer of watery blue transparent protective shield appeared around them. Then, a wave surged from the lake, and Zhao Hai noticed that the wave didn't reach the lake. Instead, the three of them were standing inside a watery blue transparent sphere, while the lake water continuously flowed around their protective barrier, moving forward.

This was Zhao Hai's second encounter with the mysteries of magic. The first time was when Merine used a simple illumination technique and a water ball technique. Even then, Zhao Hai found magic to be incredibly mysterious. But this time was even more bewildering. They were walking on top of the waves, with one person carrying two others, surpassing the martial arts techniques of "walking on water" or "crossing a river on a reed" seen in Chinese legends.

In comparison, Zhao Hai, as a foreigner, felt that he and Blockhead were far behind in terms of skill and performance. He had long known about the mysteries of magic, especially since Merine was an 8th level Water Element Grand Magician. Engaging in a water battle with such a magician was everyone's nightmare because the water was their home ground.

Merine wore a relaxed expression on her face. She was confident in her abilities on the water's surface and believed herself to be invincible there. Even if there were Water Element Magic Beasts, she was confident she could easily defeat them.

Using the speed of magic, they quickly reached their destination. It had taken them three hours to come here, but it only took them about half an hour to return. They arrived at the entrance of a cave, which was fortunate because behind that cave entrance was the castle they had been looking for. This confirmed that the lake could indeed be used as a secret waterway to transport people to the canyon.

Once Merine dispelled her magic, Zhao Hai finally regained his consciousness. He couldn't help but feel a bit dizzy from the experience. Walking on the water's surface seemed natural, but it gave him the constant feeling that he was about to fall, which made him quite uncomfortable.

As the three of them emerged from the cave, they saw the slaves working outside. It wasn't yet noon, so they hadn't taken a break. There was still a lot of cleaning to do in the cave, and many slaves were working as carpenters.

The cave was going to be transformed into a place for raising Blue Eye Rabbits, so they needed a lot of fencing. Blockhead would be responsible for making these, as they didn't have enough iron materials at the moment.

Considering the situation of the castle, Green had bought some lumber, but not too much. Most of the things they bought were finished products. Green knew that even though some slaves had carpentry skills, they wouldn't be able to make complex items. Skilled artisan slaves were much more expensive than ordinary slaves.

The appearance of the three people startled the slaves, who immediately saluted them. The three nodded in response and left the cave. Meg and Stonehead were waiting outside, and when they saw the three of them, they were also surprised. Meg quickly approached and asked, "Young Master, Grandma, why did you come out of the cave?"

Merine smiled and said, "We walked from the cave to the lake and reached a canyon, which is the perfect cultivation spot we were looking for. Young Master just improved ten mu of land there, so we came back."

Meg's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Really? That's fantastic! Things have gone so smoothly. Grandma, Young Master, you should go back to the castle and rest. I'll take care of things here."

Merine turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Young Master, let's go back to the castle. I have something to discuss with you."

Zhao Hai was puzzled but didn't dare to neglect Merine's serious expression. He nodded and said, "Okay, let's go back to the castle. Blockhead, you stay here to help Meg and Stonehead."

Blockhead agreed and stayed behind while Zhao Hai and Merine walked toward the castle.

Once they arrived in the living room of the castle, Zhao Hai looked at Merine with a questioning gaze and asked, "Merine, Grandma, what's the matter that couldn't be said outside?"

Merine nodded and said, "Young Master, while coming back today, I took the opportunity to investigate the lake's surface but couldn't find any powerful Water Element Magic Beasts. There are two possible explanations for this. First, there might be a very powerful Water Element Magic Beast that is exceptionally skilled at hiding and managed to elude my investigation. However, that's highly unlikely since I am an 8th level Water Element Magician, and there's nothing in the water that can confidently escape my detection. The second possibility is that there simply aren't any powerful Magic Beasts in the water. There are no fish or any other creatures for some unknown reason."

Zhao Hai was taken aback, realizing the gravity of the situation. The lake was a crucial part of their plans for developing the fief. If they couldn't breed fish there, they would lose a significant source of income, and it would be a waste of such a large body of water.

With a serious expression, Zhao Hai said, "We need to find out the specific reason for this. Is there any way to get to the root of it?"

Merine looked serious as she said, "I've heard a rumor that might be related to the situation in the lake. It's said that because Black Wasteland is too close to Carrion Swamp, undead creatures and poisonous Magic Beasts often form alliances and come to Black Wasteland. They kill all the living beings here, turning Black Wasteland into a deadly trap. This information hasn't been confirmed, but if it's true, it might explain why there are no fish in the lake."

Zhao Hai's expression changed. If Merine's theory was correct, it would be a big problem. Besides Merine, Green, and the few others with fighting abilities, most of the people in their group were unarmed slaves. If undead creatures and Magic Beasts attacked them, they would be in great danger.

Lowering his head, Zhao Hai rubbed his forehead with his hand, a habit he had from his previous life when thinking about important matters.

Seeing Zhao Hai's worried expression, Merine grew extremely concerned. If the situation Merine described were to occur, their farming plans would have to be halted, and their survival would become very difficult.

Zhao Hai couldn't think of any good solutions at the moment and said, "If this is true, we're in big trouble. Merine Grandma, let's wait for Grandpa Green to come back and discuss and decide what to do. For now, I think we should stop mining and gather all the resources we have. We can build some simple weapons and provide training to the slaves. We should also fortify the castle. If the worst happens, we can at least defend ourselves there. If things get really bad, I can bring everyone into my Space, where they can take refuge until the undead creatures and Magic Beasts retreat."

Merine frowned and pondered over the situation. She couldn't come up with any better ideas. She reluctantly nodded and said, "It seems this is the only option we have for now. Let me make the necessary arrangements. However, we don't have many weapons, and the resources we have are mostly for daily necessities. We can't make proper weapons with what we have. What should we do?"

Zhao Hai didn't have a good solution either. If his Farm level was higher, he could grow some trees and use them as weapons. But his current level was too low, and he couldn't even produce basic wooden sticks to fight the undead creatures.

Rubbing his forehead vigorously, Zhao Hai suddenly noticed the stone floor beneath him and a bold idea popped into his mind. He looked up at Merine and said, "Merine Grandma, I have an idea. Tomorrow, let's gather some stones with Stonehead and bring them back. We can use them to make stone weapons. Although they won't be very powerful, they can still be used for defense. What do you think?"

Merine pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement, "That sounds like a good plan. We don't have many resources at the moment, and they didn't provide us with weapons when we left the imperial capital. It seems this is our best option. Once Grandpa Green returns, we'll ask him to purchase a batch of weapons as soon as possible."

Zhao Hai nodded in response. He never expected that one day he would be living a life reminiscent of the Stone Age. However, it was the reality they had to face.

He realized that they were not only facing the crisis of starvation but also the potential threat of undead creatures and poisonous Magic Beasts.