The once lush and verdant Zalimu Oasis was now a scene of devastation.
Large sections of sand walls were destroyed, leaving only ruins. The golden wheat fields that once thrived on the fertile soil were now trampled into the earth. The surrounding landscape was stained crimson with the blood of numerous slave corpses. Yet, the houses in the heart of the oasis remained intact.
Atop the dunes, Lynn sat on his camel, surveying the scene before him. Was he dead? Or alive? Looking at the sight, Lynn had no time to ponder. Whether he was dead or not would be known with a single test. If Zalimu was dead, as the master of the oasis, the code's power to control it would completely vanish. Then, he could legitimately enter and claim all the good things for himself. But if he wasn't dead, entering the oasis would instantly subject him to the torment of the Codex's power. Reaching the oasis, Lynn dismounted from his camel. Filled with boundless hope, he stretched his hand into the oasis's perimeter. But in an instant! A sharp pain shot through him! Lynn felt as if he were being electrocuted, his entire body trembling violently. "Ugh..." he groaned, suppressing a cry in the urgency. He was naturally afraid of startling Zarimu and his son, who were likely in the two-story wooden house in the center of the oasis. Forcing himself to steady himself, Lynn took several deep breaths to dispel the lingering pain from the Codex's punitive power. This was the first time he had truly felt the power of the Codex, and it was terrifying. After calming himself, Lynn looked at the wooden house in the center of the oasis. He wasn't dead! That was for sure. But... was he dying? Or alive and well? Judging from Zarimu's miserable state in the oasis, it couldn't be the latter. He was probably the former. Even so, there's no time to wait. Who knows when Zalimu will die? By the time the outer city's governor arrives, it will be too late. He mounted his Bactrian camel again, trying to control its speed and avoid making too much noise. Lynn circled Zalimu's oasis. "The oasis is in such a state, and Zalimu is still alive." He felt a deep regret. Why wasn't he dead? If only he were dead. He could have another Source Energy Obelisk. Forcibly upgrading the Sand Spirit Arrow Tower to a Sand Spirit Sniper Tower resulted in his oasis losing one Sand Spirit Arrow Tower. The Sand Spirit Sniper Tower's monster-clearing ability is far inferior to the Sand Spirit Arrow Tower. Before the next Blood Moon, if he can't obtain a new Source Energy Obelisk, he can barely hold out with the Source Energy Bow he just acquired. However, the consumption of Source Stones and his own energy will increase exponentially, and he fears he won't be able to withstand it. He could simply degrade the Sand Spirit Sniper Tower back to a Sand Spirit Arrow Tower. He only needs to destroy and rebuild it. But this meant he was indirectly losing the Originium he'd wasted building the Sand Spirit Sniper Tower! Just then, Lynn's eyes lit up as he surveyed the area. Not far away… an Energy Obelisk! Less than ten steps from the edge of the oasis! So close? It was practically within reach! It was clearly an Energy Obelisk exposed after the Sand Spirit Arrow Tower was breached, swept over by the retreating Skeleton Tide. But even those few steps, protected by the power of the Codex, felt like an insurmountable chasm to Lynn. "Could there be other Energy Obelisks that the retreating Skeleton Tide carried to the edge?" "Even directly out of the oasis and into the desert?" Lynn quickly mounted his Bactrian camel again. He circled the edge of the Zalim Oasis as fast as he could. But he couldn't be so lucky as to find another Energy Obelisk on the edge. Not to mention Lynn's imagined scenario: the Source Energy Obelisk had been brought to the desert, truly within his grasp. He returned to the Source Energy Obelisk, no more than ten steps from the edge of the oasis. A bold idea suddenly occurred to Lynn. Force his way in? Although he had a full month to prepare, it was unlikely he wouldn't be able to buy a new Source Energy Obelisk. But that would cost an unknown amount of money—perhaps three thousand source stones, or even five thousand. And who knew how many additional costs he would have to pay? For example, what if this Source Energy Obelisk happened to be owned by a noblewoman? To obtain the right to purchase it, he would have to endure that noblewoman's relentless exploitation and humiliation… Compared to the unknown and exorbitant cost, this Source Energy Obelisk, so close at hand, felt to Lynn like someone who had been thirsty in the desert for three days suddenly turning around and seeing something from Media's bodice.
"No..."
This crazy thought had just crossed Lynn's mind when he suddenly realized it was a terrible misjudgment.
"I simply can't withstand the punitive power of the Codex."
"It seems I'm already somewhat delirious from exhaustion, and my extreme desire for this Source Energy Obelisk has almost led to disaster."
Taking a few steps back, he regained his composure and rationality.
Looking at the Source Energy Obelisk again, Lynn stroked his chin, his face becoming indifferent.
"It's definitely impossible to forcibly take this obelisk out."
"If it were the skeleton, it wouldn't be affected by the Codex's power, and there are those desert animals..."
"Desert animals!"
Following his train of thought, Lynn's eyes lit up again!
Desert wolf! Lai Cai!
...
"Master! I! I've discovered something!"
Seeing Lynn return, Millia, touching Lai Cai's lower abdomen, smiled and stood up to say to Lynn.
Just then, Lai Cai, who was licking his fur, suddenly felt a pair of large hands grip the back of his neck.
He looked up at Lynn, completely bewildered.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lynn turned and pulled the rope binding the Sand Spirit Tower down.
"Wait until I get back, Miria."
Lynn didn't have time for that; who knew when Zarimu would come out? By then, it would be too late to say anything.
"Okay... Master..."
Without noticing, the anticipation in Miria's eyes vanished instantly.
She watched Lynn's departing figure with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
...
"Lai Cai, like this, hang this up there, that thing, understand?"
Lynn said to Lai Cai, having made a loop with the rope.
Lai Cai tilted his head, looking like he understood but not quite.
It was a pity there were no beast tamers in this other world.
Lynn felt frustrated; if there were, he would bring them over no matter the price.
Then, they gave Lai Cai a quick, frantic training session.
But there was definitely no time now; they could only try first.
They placed the rope near Lai Cai's mouth, and Lai Cai sniffed it before opening its wolf mouth and taking it.
Seemingly recalling Lynn's words, it looked at the Source Energy Obelisk half-buried in the distant desert, then at Lynn.
Only then did it slowly step into Zhalim's oasis.
The Codex had no effect on this creature from the desert.
Lai Cai arrived at the Source Energy Obelisk quite easily!
"Put it on, like this,"
Lynn said in a low voice, gesturing with his hands to Lai Cai.
Lai Cai seemed to finally understand; its two wolf ears perked up, and it began to use its mouth and front paws to manipulate the rope.
"Yes! Well done, Lai Cai!"
They looked at Lai Cai with disbelief, seeing that the obelisk, which was originally difficult to lasso, had been easily handled by Lai Cai!
Before Lynn could even warn him, Lai Cai began biting the end of the remaining rope.
The Source Stone Obelisk, half-buried in the sand, moved!
Step by step, Lai Cai's three wolf legs, along with its tail, strained.
Until Lynn pulled on the rope with all his might,
the Source Stone Obelisk was immediately in Lynn's arms.
"Great, Lai Cai!"
It had to be Lai Cai!
Lynn happily rubbed Lai Cai's wolf head.
At the same time, looking at the Source Stone Obelisk, this thing not only represented a large amount of Source Stones, but also its own survival value.
Getting this obelisk through
Lai Cai was much easier than he had imagined. What's the difference between this and getting it for free!
With this obelisk, his oasis now had four obelisks!
And two reinforced arrow towers.
Although the oasis's current productivity was almost zero.
But in terms of defense alone, it was completely comparable to the major slave owners in the outer city!
At this moment, Lynn keenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door of the cabin in the heart of the continent seemed to be moving.
Startled, he quickly withdrew his thoughts of celebration.
Celebration shouldn't be here…
He mounted his Bactrian camel.
With the treasure in his left hand and the obelisk in his right, Lynn sped off towards his oasis.
After Lynn left, the wooden door remained closed.
A fleshy, ball-like figure blocked the crack in the door, a pair of fearful little eyes watching the outside warily.
"Father, those undead are gone,"
Lule confirmed for a long time before turning back to Zalim behind him.
The cabin was filled with skeletal remains, and the slaves who had retreated into the cabin lay scattered on the ground, their fates unknown.
Last night, Zalim and Lule had used their last ounce of strength to save their lives.
"Father...our oasis is destroyed!"
"The wheat was ruined by the blood of those slaves."
Lule, belatedly realizing what had happened, returned to Zalim's side, saying sorrowfully.
Seeing his son's pathetic state, Zalim felt a surge of nameless rage.
"Shut up, Lule! Our oasis isn't completely destroyed!"
"As long as the Originium obelisks of the three Sand Spirit Arrow Towers remain!"
Mentioning the Originium obelisks, Zalim, who had been somewhat dejected, suddenly realized something, his eyes widening.
Lynn, that merchant's bastard!
His oasis, and the obelisks on it!
That bastard Lynn is probably dead by now...
definitely dead!
A merchant trying to be on equal footing with a slave owner of noble birth like himself!
This is the fate he deserves.
A gleam appeared in Zalim's eyes, like a gambler who had lost his wife and suddenly found a fortune!
We need to hurry to Lynn's oasis and retrieve his three energy obelisks...
A surge of fervor welled up in Zalimu's heart...
If he could have those three Source Energy Obelisks, all the losses he suffered on the Night of the Blood Moon could be made up for!
Zalim kicked at the fallen slaves.
After confirming none were alive, his face darkened further.
Buying more slaves would cost countless Originium… He
then walked into the furrows of the dry wheat field.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, which has a vast collection of books: 𝗍𝗐𝗄𝖺𝗇.𝖼𝗈𝗆 for your reading pleasure.]
Scattered debris lay everywhere in the furrows, most stained with blood.
Stepping over the bodies of slaves who had fought to protect the oasis the previous night, Zalim looked painfully at the flattened ears of wheat.
Most of the wheat was ripe and undamaged.
If he could buy more slaves and gather them up, he could sell them on the harvest day in 17 days. He
could still get a considerable amount of Originium.
But that wouldn't be enough to make up for this loss.
"Originium Obelisk! Father! The Oasis's Originium Obelisk!"
Suddenly, Zalim heard Lule's voice behind him.
Lule had gone to inspect the ruins of the Sand Spirit Arrow Tower on the oasis.
Seeing its current state, a sense of unease rose within him.
"Speak quickly, Lule!"
Seeing that Lule hadn't uttered a single useful word, Zarimu snapped.
"Father, it's the Source Energy Obelisk! One of the Source Energy Obelisks is missing! It must have been taken by those undead!"
"What!"
Zarimu was stunned, then immediately prepared to investigate himself.
But he stopped abruptly, realizing something.
"Quick, Lule, come with me to Lynn's Oasis!"
He had no more hesitation, no longer intending to investigate further.
Whether or not the undead had truly taken one Source Energy Obelisk,
as long as he obtained the Source Energy Obelisk on Lynn's Oasis before the outer city's governor arrived, he could make up for all the losses!
Even losing two Source Energy Obelisks wouldn't matter!
Zarimu had no other choice; now he placed all his hopes on this.
On this "fact" that he considered beyond question...
"Hurry up, Ruler!"
The camel had long been killed by the skeleton, and this was probably the first time Zalim had walked such a long distance on foot.
Ruler followed behind, panting heavily.
He was relying on his mental focus on the obelisk he had seized at the Lynn Oasis to keep his already weak body going.
"And the treasure that old man left behind, I wonder if we can find it before the governor arrives."
As they got closer to the oasis, Zalim thought of the legendary treasure again, and a greedy thought surged up once more.
His pace quickened, as if he were racing against the governor.
But when the Lynn Oasis appeared before him, Zalim's old face froze.
Then his mouth and face began to twitch uncontrollably.
His body trembled as if he had been electrocuted.
"Father..."
Ruler finally caught up, panting heavily.
Only when he could breathe normally did he notice Zalim's abnormality.
He saw the shock, disbelief, and even resentment in Zalimu's eyes.
"Father..."
Lule was confused, but before he could ask, he saw Lynn's oasis!
The Sand Spirit Arrow Towers!
Three Sand Spirit Arrow Towers!
They were still functioning normally.
No... these were the enhanced Sand Spirit Arrow Towers!
What was going on?!
His own oasis was in ruins, and he had even lost an obelisk!
But his oasis was
completely unharmed! Even the dilapidated house was undamaged!
"This is impossible!"
"Why is his oasis intact, and why are the enhanced Sand Spirit Arrow Towers here?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Lule, still in shock, was startled by Zalimu's voice.
When he saw Zalimu's eyes almost pop out of their sockets, Lule suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.
Lynn strolled out of the wooden house. He
leisurely walked to the well in the center of the oasis, drew a bucket of water,
and then picked up a ceramic bowl.
Unintentionally, three pairs of eyes met. "
...
Zalimu?"
Lynn had just placed the obelisk in the cabin.
He was planning to fetch a bucket of water to quench his thirst.
Unexpectedly, he saw Zalimu standing at the edge of his oasis.
So fast?
He hadn't seen any camels...
could he have run here?
As for why he ran here, Lynn naturally knew perfectly well.
Was he still coveting the obelisk on his oasis?
A mischievous glint suddenly rose in Lynn's eyes.
He raised his earthenware bowl towards Zalimu and Rule, who were standing in the distance, as if celebrating a triumphant feast.
He then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp!
When the earthenware bowl was put down again, one of the people standing in the distance was gone, leaving only Lule.
Zhalim was already lying on the ground, still convulsing.
Good heavens, would he die from anger on the spot?
Lynn, of course, had no idea that Zhalim had placed all his hopes on his oasis.
But now, all his fantasies were shattered, and the stark contrast of reality made his mind feel as if the sky had fallen.
He certainly didn't care whether Zhalim lived or died.
On the contrary, Lynn really hoped to anger Zhalim to death.
If Lule really inherited that oasis, then at the next Blood Moon, the other two Source Energy Obelisks on the oasis would surely be his.
Perhaps there would be some unexpected gains...
Lule seemed to roar something at Lynn.
Then, he hurriedly twisted his fat body and dragged Zhalim away.
Lynn didn't hear it clearly, and didn't care now.
He only felt a surge of pleasure in his heart.
Back in his room, Lynn looked at the obelisk he'd brought back from the Zalim Oasis on his wooden bed.
Soon, this obelisk would take on the shape of his oasis…
"Master… this… should we hide it?"
Milia asked worriedly upon Lynn's return.
Hearing Milia's words, Lynn thought for a moment and nodded.
Although the Atreides City-State's customary law didn't explicitly restrict this—because those who drafted customary laws did this all the time— and
the Codex had no restrictions either
, and if anyone asked, he could simply say he bought it himself.
No one would care or deny it.
But to be on the safe side, Lynn decided to hide it for now.
Better safe than sorry .
The oasis's defenses were currently strong enough; ordinary nights were pure bonus challenges for Lynn.
He could take it out again during the next Blood Moon.
"Let's find a place to hide, Milia."
"Yes, Master!"
Seemingly very happy to be able to help Lynn, Milia instantly perked up and began carrying the heavy obelisk around.
She seemed to feel that nowhere was safe to hide it, and every time she put it down, she would pick it up again.
The Blood Moon had finally ended.
A brand new month was about to begin.
Lynn scooped up another bowl of water and drank it down, feeling incredibly thirsty for some reason.
Looking at the oasis outside, his nerves gradually relaxed.
Three days ago, Zalim was still lurking nearby, and now his oasis was nothing but ruins.
His own territory, however, was completely transformed.
Although it didn't yet have vast fertile fields, and certainly couldn't compare to Media's territory,
he had only built reinforced sniper towers and mechanical towers, significantly increasing his defenses.
But he had only used it for three days!
What would happen in thirty days?
"By the way, Milia, what were you trying to tell me before?"
Turning to sit on the wooden bed, Lynn suddenly remembered what Milia seemed to want to say when he took Wangcai away.
Hearing Lynn's words, Milia's eyes widened even more.
Master, you remember!
Undisguised joy appeared on her face.
She was about to excitedly tell him about her discovery.
"Master, Milia found Laicai..."
Lynn looked at Milia, but gradually felt he couldn't understand what she was saying.
A strong sense of drowsiness then swept over him...
"Master! What's wrong with you!"
"Milia is scared... Waaaaa... Master, don't die..."
Before falling asleep, Lynn only felt a pair of cool little hands on his chest, gently pressing.
Then...
he felt a wetness on his lips...
A crimson camel-hair coat slipped from her fair shoulders, and Media quickly draped a light, sheer shawl over herself.
The temperature had already risen, no longer as chilly as the night.
Looking at Kalil, curled up in a corner, still terrified, fast asleep,
Media's face showed an indescribable disappointment.
She then walked to the window, looking at the rising sun.
It had truly come…
the Blood Moon from the prophecy!
She looked out through the stone window.
The oasis remained green, only now dotted with countless white bones.
The Sand Spirit Arrow Towers were all destroyed, leaving only ruins.
"The future will only be more difficult, until… the judgment arrives."
Recalling the contents of the prophecy, Media's heart trembled.
She watched the sun rise visibly, until waves of heat surged across the earth.
After much hesitation, she abandoned the idea of using astrology again.
Once the astrologers of Atreides City-State detect the existence of a hidden astrologer,
the consequences are unimaginable.
Looking back at the oasis, a hint of hesitation crossed Media's face.
"Three Sand Spirit Arrow Towers are definitely not enough. We need at least double that number to survive the next Blood Moon."
Knowing the prophecy, Media was acutely aware of how terrifying the next Blood Moon would be. It
might even bring forth undead—sand liches—who, by all accounts, shouldn't exist.
Undead are slaves of sand liches; with masters, their attacks on the oasis would be exponentially more ferocious.
Powerful source artifacts would also appear, directly inflicting terrifying damage on the oasis's Sand Spirit Arrow Towers.
Thinking of this, a trace of worry appeared on her fair, wrinkle-free face.
Media could afford to buy three obelisks, even if each cost ten thousand source stones.
But who doesn't need source energy obelisks these days?
Even if enough obelisks were to fall into the hands of those merchants, the price to buy them would likely be more than just Originium.
The thought of being stared at with lewd and disrespectful gazes sent
a chill down Media's spine.
Of course, when that time came, it would probably be more than just staring.
But without enough obelisks, what would happen next Blood Moon?
Rely on White Stone Castle again?
Even if they could withstand it, each repair would require a large amount of Originium.
Eventually, they wouldn't have enough.
Unless…
an Origin Mage?
This thought was immediately dismissed by Media.
Strengthening the Sand Spirit Arrow Towers was certainly a better option.
Even three strengthened Sand Spirit Arrow Towers would be enough to withstand the next Blood Moon night.
But Origin Mages held a much higher status than Astrologers; even if she revealed her identity, she couldn't possibly reach them!
A trace of confusion appeared on Media's face.
She gazed aimlessly at the desolate desert outside the stone window.
Unconsciously, her gaze drifted towards the direction where the sun was rising.
Unconsciously, she thought again of the little fellow she had only met once.
"Lynn..."
Thinking of that name, a pang of loss inexplicably rose in her heart.
"A clever child, what a pity."
Her red lips parted slightly as she murmured to herself.
Then, her tightly pressed legs turned and she walked downstairs.
The female slaves lay sprawled on the ground.
Hearing Media's footsteps, they all awoke with a start,
looking at Media with awe and gratitude .
Every female slave had been left in White Stone Castle, not ordered to go out and die.
This was thanks to the impregnable White Stone Castle, built at a cost of nearly ten thousand source stones.
"Go out and tidy up my oasis."
Media's emotionless voice uttered.
The female slaves dared not hesitate for a moment and quickly left White Stone Castle. Only
after reaching the outside of the noble and magnificent White Stone Castle did the group of female slaves feel somewhat at ease.
"Mother! Those undead, they're gone, aren't they..."
Hearing this trembling voice, almost every syllable betrayed fear,
Media turned to look at her incompetent son.
Her gaze turned icy, and a hint of disgust unconsciously crept onto her face.
None of the virtues she admired were present.
Foresight, decisive action, meticulous thinking, and wisdom...
yet he possessed precisely the cowardice that Media found most unbearable.
At that moment, Media thought of Lynn again.
A sudden wave of disappointment washed over her; she felt she should do something more.
"Go to Lynn's Oasis, Kalil."
"Lyn's Oasis?"
Hearing his mother's words, Kalil was stunned for a moment.
The thought that Lynn was probably already dead immediately dispelled his worries.
Lynn was dead, so there wouldn't be another random brother taking away his mother's affection.
Instead, Kalil began to speculate about his mother's intentions.
The Originium, the Orichalcum, and the camel?
Did Mother want him to take those things back?
He couldn't help but curse inwardly. He
might still find the Originium, and he didn't know what the Orichalcum had been used for.
But his beloved camel was definitely dead!
Damn Lynn!
After venting his emotions, Kalil finally spoke.
"I understand, Mother. I will get the Originium back, and maybe even the obelisk!"
Hearing Kalil's answer, Media became impatient again.
What did she need those twenty Originium for?
And the obelisk was probably already gone.
Why was her son so foolish!
"I want you to bury Lynn's body properly, Kalil."
"Bury?"
Kalil listened to Media's words in disbelief.
A wave of disgust washed over him.
Back to Lynn's wretched oasis again?
Just stepping onto the sandy ground of what he remembered as Lynn's dilapidated oasis would soil his fine clothes and shoes.
"Yes, Mother,"
Kalil said reluctantly.
Seeing Media go upstairs, he stepped out the door and then came back.
"It would be easier to bury Lynn after he's turned into a dried-up corpse."
...
"Wow! That was a good night's sleep!"
Lynn stretched and loosened his limbs.
He also noticed he was wearing new clothes, spotless.
His body wasn't sticky either; Milia had probably washed him while he was asleep.
Looking at the crimson sky outside the ventilation vent, Lynn felt a little disoriented.
"Did I sleep for a day, or a whole day and night?"
Unable to tell if it was dawn or dusk, Lynn didn't pay attention.
After this nap, his mind was no longer foggy; it had become clear again.
Right, that bag!
He'd been busy with other things and forgotten about it.
Reaching the wooden crate, Lynn opened it and saw a huge pile of Originium inside.
There were at least a hundred, their azure light almost blinding.
"Looks like I must have slept for a whole day and night, otherwise, with the Blood Moon alone, and after using so many Originium, I couldn't possibly have so much left."
These Originium weren't scattered throughout the oasis, but here, thanks to Milia and Lai Cai.
Lynn felt an urge to hug Milia immediately,
but he couldn't resist his curiosity and first took out an Originium.
Then he tried placing it on the bag.
Sure enough,
the bag opened.
One?
A seed?
Seeing the contents of the bag, Lynn's eyes widened in astonishment.
He never expected it to be a seed the size of an egg!
"What can this seed grow into? Buried under the sands for so long, is it still usable?"
The answers to these questions seemed only possible by trying to plant it.
"Master! You're finally awake!"
"Woof!"
As Lynn stepped outside, he heard Milia calling.
At the same time, Lai Cai ran over.
After sleeping, seeing Lai Cai again, Lynn actually felt like Lai Cai had really turned into a dog.
Wagging its tail, it barked shortly at Lynn and even tried to lick his hand.
"Master, I'm so glad you're alright. Milia was so worried."
"Of course I'm alright, Milia."
Lynn saw that Milia seemed quite tired and guessed that she had worried a lot about him while he was asleep.
He then reached out and gently stroked Milia's little head.
As Milia lowered her head to feel Lynn's touch, her face suddenly turned slightly red.
"Master... are you feeling alright now?"
Now? Alright?
"I'm fine, what's wrong?"
Lynn didn't understand Milia's meaning for a moment.
"No... nothing, Master."
At this moment, Milia remembered last night, and the blush on her face returned.
Milia's master's tail always tilted to one side.
Milia, worried her master was uncomfortable, had tried very hard to straighten it.
But…
remembering the original website domain 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞
, she thought back to last night, after wiping Lynn's body while he was in a deep sleep, what had happened.
Milia was terrified.
But now, hearing Lynn say that he wasn't feeling unwell, Milia finally relaxed completely.
Lai Cai's droopy, limp tail rose high, wagging affectionately at Lynn.
Seeing Lai Cai's change, Lynn was still somewhat puzzled.
This change in Lai Cai was much greater than he had imagined.
"Master! I've discovered that Lai Cai can understand Milia's words!"
At this moment, Milia temporarily forgot about the frightening "tail," and seeing Lynn looking at Lai Cai beside him, she immediately spoke up.
As she spoke of her discovery, Milia looked at Lynn expectantly, her eyes filled with anticipation for praise.
"Laicai can understand you?"
Lynn asked, surprised.
Really?
Could Laicai have some "special ability" he hadn't discovered yet?
At that moment, Milia began her performance.
"Laicai, here! There! And there!"
Milia raised her little hand, pointing to several places.
Laicai obediently flapped its three legs and went to the places it was pointing to.
"And, and, Master."
"Laicai, sit on the ground..."
Seemingly not satisfied with Lynn, Milia hesitated for a moment, then gave Laicai a new command.
This time, however, Laicai didn't understand, tilting its head and looking at Milia with a puzzled expression.
"Laicai, like this... You clearly understood just now."
Seeing this, Milia's face became anxious, and she simply began to imitate Laicai's dog-sitting posture.
Milia knelt on the sand, her fair little feet and slender legs peeking out from under her robe.
She propped herself up on her hands, her little bottom slightly upturned, a perfect imitation.
This time, Lai Cai understood and immediately sat down.
"Master, look!"
"Lai Cai understands what Milia says!"
Obviously, it was impossible for Lai Cai to understand, but Lynn did.
It wasn't that Lai Cai understood Milia's words. Rather, Lai
Cai had been further tamed by Milia without her noticing.
Most likely, it was while collecting Originium with Lai Cai that Milia accidentally discovered Lai Cai could understand hand gestures.
That's when she assumed Lai Cai could understand her.
Plus, Lai Cai was quite intelligent, making it a kind of mutual attraction.
It's unknown whether Milia could be considered the first beast tamer in this world.
"Very good, Milia."
Lynn immediately went to Milia, who was still sitting like a dog, bent down slightly, and stroked Milia's little head.
Milia, meanwhile, squinted her eyes contentedly, a look of satisfaction on her face at receiving her master's praise.
Desert wolves possess a terrifyingly strong supernatural sense of danger, and within the city-state, they are not bound by the power of the legal code…
If she could truly tame them, they would definitely become a great asset.
It's just a pity that one Lai Cai is far too few.
She'll have to find other desert wolves.
But other desert wolves might not be as perceptive as Lai Cai.
In fact, the domestication of such primitive species must start with wolf cubs.
Lai Cai is a complete exception.
She just doesn't know where she can raid a wolf den?
Near a large rock?
Thinking of the two desert wolves she encountered yesterday morning while testing her bow, Lynn pondered, but couldn't make a decision.
Even if she found one, it wouldn't be easy, and there would be considerable danger.
Wolves are not solitary animals; once the pack is disturbed…
At this moment, Lynn suddenly remembered that Milia seemed to have wanted to tell him something earlier.
"By the way, Milia, what did you discover about Lai Cai? Did you mean it could understand you?"
Lynn asked, looking down at Milia who was still sitting like a dog.
"No, Master, I discovered that Lai Cai has puppies."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Lynn was surprised.
Lai Cai wasn't just a she-wolf, but a pregnant one?
"Really, Master."
Milia stood up, brushed the dust off her knees, and immediately went to Lai Cai's side, pointing to Lai Cai's belly.
"Here, there are Lai Cai's puppies..."
Lynn also squatted down, carefully touching them; they really did look like them.
After observing carefully for a moment, seeing the two rows of clearly swollen breasts on Lai Cai's chest and abdomen, he instantly confirmed his guess.
Obviously, swollen breasts were a sign that the desert wolf was about to enter lactation.
"Good wolf, no, now I should call you good dog."
Lynn was overjoyed and couldn't help but rub Lai Cai's head again.
Lai Cai barked twice, seemingly confused.
No wonder Lai Cai approached humans.
It was maternal instinct that drove her to make this incredibly dangerous decision for a desert wolf, all for the sake of survival and giving birth to her cubs.
"I wonder how many cubs a desert wolf can have in a litter,"
Lynn mused.
Based on his experience before transmigrating, wolves usually had three to five cubs.
With Lai Cai's intelligence and his intervention in taming her,
she would definitely become a powerful asset.
Meanwhile, Milia, watching Lynn's joyful expression, seemed lost in thought.
Suddenly, a thought popped into Milia's mind.
"If Milia had Master's baby, wouldn't Master be happy too? And Milia wouldn't be useless anymore."
But as soon as this thought arose, a wave of fear washed over Milia, and she couldn't even look Lynn in the eye.
"Milia is a slave... How can you have such thoughts?"
"If Master knew, he would definitely throw Milia into the desert."
Her body trembled, and the thought of her master no longer being kind and benevolent filled her with increasing fear.
At the same time, the sound of pages turning appeared in Lynn's mind again.
"Hmm?"
With a thought, he immediately saw the ancient "Slave Owner's Manual" in his mind.
Then, Lynn turned to Milia's illustration.
[Slave: Milia]
[Number: 1]
[Binding Progress: 150%]
[Negative Affixes: Painful Scars (-77) Severe Dependence on Security (-14) Psychological Trauma from Losing Mother (-36)]
[Positive Affixes: Speed Learner (+30) Chastity (+10) Attentiveness (+3) Severe Dependence on Slave Owner (+20) Inexperienced First Aid (5) Wolf Shepherd Apprentice (5)]
[Special Affixes: ?] (+100)
[Overall Score: 46 (+23) = 69 points]
Unexpectedly, this Blood Moon resulted in such a significant increase?
The entry related to first aid knowledge went from 1 point to 5 points.
This change surprised Lynn.
Lynn naturally didn't know that the knowledge he taught Milia had been reviewed countless times in her mind during the Blood Moon night due to her concern for him.
Now it seemed etched into her memory.
What surprised Lynn most was the addition of the entry for "Wolf Trainee."
It was simply because of Milia's time alone with Lai Cai during the day and night he slept.
Yet, this added five points!
It was like getting five points for nothing.
It also indicated that Milia seemed to have a talent for this.
Originally, Lynn was thinking of training Lai Cai and the wolf cubs that Lai Cai might give birth to at any time.
But now, he changed his mind and decided to teach Milia his dog training knowledge as well.
If Milia does all the work, she might be able to raise the score of the "Beast Taming" attribute by three or four times!
Looking at the encyclopedia again, Lynn noticed that the attributes "Severe Dependence on Security" and "Severe Dependence on Slave Owner" had also changed.
Although the total score decreased instead of increased after adding them together, both had improved to varying degrees.
The prize pool was still accumulating!
Once the "Severe Dependence on Security" attribute could be completely removed one day,
a large number of points would be released instantly!
But how could he get Milia to no longer have the negative attribute "Severe Dependence on Security"?
Lynn didn't have any ideas on this for the time being.
"Why did the binding progress only increase by two percent..."
Finally, Lynn looked at the binding progress, which seemed to have hit a bottleneck, as if it was stuck.
"I can only figure it out gradually."
Lynn was naturally satisfied with this improvement.
The next reward unlock was 100 points for the Slave Owner rating.
Even if the binding progress didn't change at all, he only needed to find a way to increase the base score of the attribute by 21 points.
Having grasped the objective law of "knowledge creating terms," all that's needed is to exert some initiative and teach Milia more knowledge.
As someone who has attended school for nearly twenty years, Lynn has a wealth of knowledge to impart.
"Milia, how about I teach you how to make Lai Cai understand you better?"
"Really, Master?"
Milia's face, which had initially shown some melancholy, immediately brightened with curiosity upon hearing Lynn's words.
"Of course, you will be responsible for teaching Lai Cai and her children how to understand commands."
"They will be of great help to us."
Lynn stood up, looking at Lai Cai, who was currently panting with its tongue lolling out.
If trained well, it wouldn't just be able to help him clean up the battlefields after the Blood Moon in other oases.
There would be many other conveniences.
For example, desert wolves can kill people in city-states without being restricted by the law.
What does Lai Cai killing someone have to do with me, Lynn?
"That's it. If Lai Cai does as you say, then feed her."
"Yes, Master!"
Milia was especially happy at this moment.
"If Milia listens to Master, and Lai Cai listens to Milia, Master will be happy, and Milia will be useful."
She didn't know Lynn's purpose in doing this, nor did she know how much help it would be to Lynn if a group of desert wolves were truly tamed.
Milia only knew that doing this would make her a useful slave, and her master would be happy.
That was enough for her to do this wholeheartedly.
The sand cakes in the pottery jar were finally gone.
Lynn was so busy teaching that he forgot to eat.
Although he had slept for a day and a night, he still felt extremely hungry.
It was still early, just dawn.
Now that they had Bactrian camels, it wouldn't be difficult to buy food in the inner city.
Lynn wasn't in a hurry to buy food.
Instead, he planned to plant the seed as soon as possible.
"I wonder what this thing can grow into."
Holding the seed he found on the skeleton archer, Lynn examined it again.
Naturally, he still couldn't figure it out. Lynn
spent half a day digging with a strange farm tool made of oxalite, which he found in a box and was now only half intact.
He finally managed to finish.
"Why are the farm tools in this godforsaken place so difficult to use..."
Lynn sighed, looking at the oddly shaped tool.
After burying the seeds in the fertile soil, he stood up, looked at the soil before him, and placed a few pebbles beside it as markers,
so he wouldn't forget where he planted them later.
Because he only invested one Originium every five days, the area of fertile soil was quite small.
Lynn didn't plan to immediately invest three or even four Originium daily.
Investing so many Originium to create fertile soil without sufficient preliminary preparation would be a waste.
Seeds, enough farm tools, and slaves for farming...
these were all problems that needed to be solved.
But the land still had to be cultivated...
not just because of the "Chinese farming gene" in Lynn's genes,
nor because he hoped to obtain large amounts of Originium through the oasis's monopoly on food, like other slave owners.
Having the title of "Frugal Slave Owner" already brings in enough Originium income,
far exceeding that of true large slave owners.
Originium can be poured into the well in the heart of the continent to produce water, but water can't fill an empty stomach; one can't eat fertile soil.
Food is the foundation of survival.
Lynn couldn't let another oasis control the very foundation of his survival.
Moreover, with such a massive catastrophe, famine might occur in the future.
Even with Originium, food might not be enough.
But if he had food, the things he could exchange it for would be endless!
"I wonder which title would be beneficial for developing the fertile soil of the oasis..."
"Indulgence? Slaughter? Conquest? Extravagance?"
Lynn stroked his chin, pondering for a moment.
He naturally couldn't guess.
In fact, even without the title, Lynn wasn't worried about managing the fertile soil of his oasis.
He would definitely become the most agriculturally knowledgeable slave owner of this era!
Not because Lynn possessed much agricultural knowledge, but simply because... the agricultural level of this desert world was ridiculously low.
Any Chinese person in this world, acting as a slave owner and managing agricultural production, would be overwhelmingly dominant.
Improving inefficient farm tools was a simple matter.
Lynn could easily replicate the hoes, rakes, picks, and shovels he'd seen everywhere in the countryside as a child…
He also had some recollection of curved plows and winches.
As for the cultivation experience of oasis agriculture, he genuinely didn't understand it, and directly copying it might not even be effective.
However, he could gradually explore it using scientific methods and then apply it in practice.
This was far better than the planting methods of this era—
haphazardly scattering seeds, watering haphazardly every day, and never having a concept of fertilization.
Low yields meant slave owners would only punish slaves, blaming them for laziness.
Even if Lynn only had a superficial understanding of the five thousand years of agricultural cultivation experience accumulated in China,
it would be a game-changer in this world, easily sparking an agricultural revolution.
As for why this extensive oasis slave agriculture could support so many people,
the reason was simple: the soil here was incredibly fertile.
Meanwhile, crops like upland rice have ridiculously high yields and a remarkably short growth cycle, yielding a harvest every three blood moons.
This has led to a lack of motivation to improve productivity.
I vaguely remember a wealthy slave owner proudly claiming that his oasis's output could feed a thousand free people.
This was astonishing to other slave owners.
Lynn, however, now roughly estimates it and finds it ridiculously inadequate.
In reality, an oasis that receives 3 Originium every five days could potentially yield several times more.
After pondering for a long time, Lynn finally noticed that the sound of Milia training Lai Cai had disappeared behind him.
Turning around, he saw Milia's worried face, and both she and Lai Cai were looking in a certain direction in the distance.
"Milia, what's wrong?"
"Master... there's a huge plume of smoke rising over there again."
Lynn looked in the direction she was pointing and saw the scene in the distance.
A lone plume of smoke rising from the desert!
He immediately recalled the time right after the Blood Moon ended.
It was the same location then, with the same thick smoke rising.
That fallen city-state?
Why has it been burning for so long?
No.
It can't have been burning for that long.
Rather...
after the Blood Moon, the survivors of this city-state started a new war.
The monarch is dead, the legal code is invalid!
Most of the surviving nobles have started a power struggle.
He had seen this city-state when the Blood Moon had set and the first rays of dawn were rising.
His head was spinning, and the situation was urgent, so Lynn hadn't thought much about it.
Now, looking at the lone plume of smoke rising from the desert, his thoughts were churning, and his gaze gradually sharpened.
This is an opportunity that arose after the Blood Moon upheaval.
This situation inevitably led to a large number of obelisks becoming ownerless, and even more energy devices.
If he had a team, sending them there would definitely be a huge windfall!
Perhaps… he could even
directly seize the Codex and become a monarch!
A monarch is arguably the greatest slave owner; the entire city-state is the monarch's oasis.
And with the power of the Codex, he could unleash his ambitions without restraint.
Alas…
Lynn looked back at his oasis.
Building such an oasis in three days was indeed fast.
But not fast enough!
Such opportunities would continue to arise.
He had to have sufficient strength to seize each opportunity before it came; that was true speed.
Especially certain major historical opportunities…
how many times in a lifetime could one encounter them?
If missed, they might never come again.
After a slight calculation of the current development speed, Lynn's brow furrowed slightly.
At this moment, he suddenly understood what he had heard in his previous life meant by "ten years of hard study cannot compare to three generations of struggle."
The reason was accumulation!
Accumulation takes time!
To seize the opportunity, what he lacked was time.
Given three to five years, he could definitely accumulate enough resources.
Unfortunately, these opportunities were right before him, fleeting!
Unless…
he could transform others' accumulated resources into his own?!
"Master! Master! That person is here again!"
At this moment, Milia's voice rang in Lynn's ears again, somewhat anxious.
Who?
Lynn turned around and immediately looked in the direction Milia was pointing.
It was him again, Kalil?
But Kalil was completely different from before. His
luxurious clothes remained, and he was accompanied by a camel, still ruminating.
However, Kalil's chin wasn't held as high as before, and his face was no longer arrogant;
on the contrary—Kalil's mouth was wide open, his face filled with shock, staring dumbfounded at Lynn's oasis…