Chapter 1: Farmer 1. The Spatial Farm.
- "Young Master. The breakfast is ready. The Young Master should get out of bed!"
Old gruff voice got through an awful headache. Dick didn't react in any way. But the voice nagged on: "Young Master should get out of bed, it's a venerable tradition of the nobbles to keep their days well ordered".
Dick opened his eyes. Wasn't he in that hall of mirrors? Well, this certainly wasn't anything like that. He discovered himself lying down on a big wooden bed. With some 50 years stern-faced old man with meticulously combed grayish hair calmly looking at him.
Every loud word hammered the pain deeper into his scull. But he was too disoriented to let go of his anger or just to show his miserable state.
Dick watched this nagging elder dumbly when the room started to rotate around him. It was a clean room in the stone house, very crude. His bed and a chair were the only furniture. Add a window with the wooden frame and a sparkling Stonehead responsible for the illumination and that was about it.
The nagging continued: "Young Master, are you all right? Please get up as soon as you are may. The aristocratic etiquette, you know. A Noble should conform to it, whatever happens. It's time for breakfast now. Please, come."
The elder rotated in the Dick's eyes. A severe pain was the last thing he felt before fainting.
Green Buda gawked at his fainting Young Master before hastily making his exit. There were four persons outside of the room. Two young men just under two meters high with the faces that would fit small children nicely. Healthy black skin, short hair. The silly looking fellows were twins.
One of the two women was some 40 old and very fat. She looked really worried now.
The young girl was sixteen or seventeen years old. She had long cyan hair, nice small oval face, fair skin. Small, delicate doll of a girl. She stared at the floor with the wooden expression.
- "Green, how is it? Did Young Master wake up?" - asked the older woman.
- "He woke up alright but fainted just afterwards. Merine, didn't your magic help? Is there some problem with these medicines? Was it some kind of sabotage?"
Merine face whitened with anger: "Did it come to that? The Young Master always was a spoiled child, but he is the last of Buda Family. Did that imperial bastards forget how much the Old Master did for the Empire in past? He was important part of the Empire! And these ungrateful bastards..."
- "Go, take a look. We have to protect the last of Buda no matter what."
Merine nodded, but gave Green a wicked look: "You shouldn't bother Young Master with that dumb Noble etiquette, if he gets better. Be all these Nobles damned! They are disgusting."
Green looked at Merine helplessly, but spoke gravely: "Now that the Young Muster is a viscount too, I should make him the true Noble, we owe the Buda Family that much at the very least".
- "Just you try to nag the Young Master. There won't be any food for you in my kitchen. You may starve. We are in this desolated place now. Young Master would return to imperial capital once? You dream!"
And she was right here. The Clan had so many powerful enemies in the Empire Noble circles, that it was better to disappear, to let everyone forget of it's very existence.
It wasn't the worse part of the story, even. The Emperor feared the comeback of the Buda family so much, that he made their last successor, their final hope - Adam Buda drink the Water of Nothingness.
This water of nothingness is unsurpassed Magical Treasure, each drop valued more, than it's weigh in gold coins, but this nothingness Potion could do only one thing - to make your strength, your potential change into nothingness. One drop of it would make an average out of any Magician with the Divine Power, or out of God Rank Knight - instantly! They won't be able to use Magic or Battle Qi ever. Moreover, there was no known antidote for the dreadful thing.
It would even rob your body of any strength above average.
It wouldn't hurt an average man, but it was bane of the powerful folk.
And Adam Buda was ordered to drink this Potion by the Emperor, taking all his ability to study Magic and Battle Qi forever.
Imperial C lanes had the military power in their own ranks, it wasn't enough just to hire it. By this standards the lone disabled successor made Buda Family final hope exterminated. In the world where raw power ruled supreme, Adam Buda was nothing. Now and forever.
The clan had some strength still. Green was 8th level Warrior himself. His wife Merine was 8th level Water element Magician, granddaughter Meg was also 6th level Wind element Magician. It would have been enough to hold the original fief with a city and four towns together and come back to prosperity in a few years' time.
But the Emperor gave them the new fief in the Black Wasteland instead. The Black Wasteland was the deathtrap, famous on all of the Continent. It was big. It was one third of the Aksu Empire in size. But there were no plants in that desolate place. You may grow nothing in that desert.
These were fertile lands once - according to legend. But there was that battle of God Rank Magicians here. And some collective battle spell turned the lands into the death trap in no time.
And the sole exit of this deserted place was next to Purcell's territory. Once this Family has the engagement with Budas, but what powerful Clan would care to keep ties with the fallen ones? The death trap indeed...
Green's family, Blockhead and Stonehead - two orphans adopted by the Adam's father come to that new fief with 100 new slaves, seeds, tools and some store of food. That was all Green managed to keep of the Buda Clan.
And last but not the least one - the unconscious Adam. Who had the luck to have the Magician healer Merine at his side. She could cure the Young Master well enough to let him arrive to their destination safely. Well, his body arrived, at least. In fact it was our 'Dick' in the skin of young Adam Buda...
Dick black out cold as a computer restarted with new updates. He waked with brand new memories accessible. The memories that belonged to the young spoiled playboy Adam Buda. Son of the military commander he almost never seen around. And the bandit - if his Noble status didn't protect him from the criminal charges.
And then his father did choose the wrong side in the Succession. And managed to achieve with the single wrong choice what his spoiled son didn't managed to make with all his short life of bad choices.
Well, there was nothing unusual with the older Buda's choice. A lot of other Noble stood for the Crown Prince after all. But Buda was a young Noble Family with military background. A nouveau riche with no deep connections with the old Aristocracy. An obvious choice when the new power needed to make an example.
The defeated Crown Prince was forced to commit suicide. The Adam's father was jailed and died in prison. Adam wasn't killed after all. It was all the protection of the 8th level Expert can give him. He got his new title viscount instead of Marquis as it would be otherwise. A small price to pay. Well, it would have been - if not for that Water of Nothingness, that robbed him of Magic and Battle Qi for ten generations. And this desert for the new fief. That he wasn't permitted to leave for the next three years too. And Green had to trade the Family's inheritance - the Wild Dragon Battle Qi secret for his Young Master's life.
Dick opens his eyes and seen the same elder at his side. But now he recognizes the old Butler of Buda, Green Buda. Green wasn't born a Buda, he was bestowed the surname by the Adam's great grandfather for his continuous loyalty and devotion to the Clan. It's the most trusted person of Buda Family.
The real Adam dislikes Green as the nagging person that always tried to correct his villain's way. But he could only endure as Green was the oldest and mightiest powerhouse of Buda. But Dick is much more sensible than Adam ever was. He wasn't influenced by that lad's ways and preferences at all. Dick is relieved to see the old Butler at his side. Green's formidable strength represented the hope of survival in this cruel world.
So. No computers for him here. No Internet access. No more. No Battle Qi and no Magic too - in this world of Qi and Magic, what an irony...
As soon as Green noticed that Dick opened his eyes he harried to his bedside. "Young Master, how are you? Do you feel some discomfort? Are you in pain?"
- "I'll be all right, Green. Grandpa Green, where we are?"
- "Young Master, we arrived at the fief." - Green gawked, he never seen such politeness from Adam before.
- "It's Black Wasteland, right?" - commented... Adam.
- "Black Wasteland", - confirmed Green, amazed by the Dick's calmness.
- And what about our people and resources? - Adam was concerned how they would survive in this inhospitable land, he hurried to get in control of the situation.
Green gave Adam a blank look. At this point he didn't know what to think of his Young Master, but it absolutely wasn't the same Adam he know. Did the setback really forced him to grow up? Whatever. Better later, than never. This change made Green to feel happy.
- We are in the Lord's Mansion on Iron Mountain of Black Wasteland, Young Master. The Dwarf Race abandoned this place. Some lands up there can be cultivated. You may punish this old servant, but I had to take responsibility as I see fit. I sold the real estate remaining and purchased a lot of goods, 100 slaves included. Only 100 gold coins remain. My wife and granddaughter, Blockhead and Stonehead - that's everybody that followed you here. Most deserted.
Adam nodded. They were good. For now. As good as you may be in this deathtrap.
- You did well, Green. Gold is useless here. We have to eat, we have to plant crops. That's what's important.
- Rest, Young Master. My wife would send Meg to serve you.
Adam forced out a smile. His... predecessor managed this stupidity to. He tried to force himself on that powerful young 6th level Magician. It wasn't going to be easy...
But Adam needed some time to himself more than any food now.
- Don't disturb me before dinner, Green.
- Old servant asks to be excused, - Green bowed his way out.
Adam rises from his bed slowly. He felt better than he really should after the long illness. He stretched himself and get to the window. Adam opened the window to take a look outside.
The western-style small town fort around the castle came as a pleasant surprise. The view on the surrounding dead black lands didn't, however. Some sick trees on the mountain, a barren hill on the other side.
The slaves in the uniform coarse cotton clothes, the men's foreheads branded with Buda Family mark. The pile of things in the middle of their activity. Nothing unexpected here.
The castle big enough to hold several thousand men has the long deserted sort of look. Moss on the walls, some green grass in the crevices - the generally unkempt look. His window frame was covered with some new paper, others were empty. He remembered glass in their Empire residence. And here they didn't have enough of this primitive window paper, even.
„The Spatial Farm procedure starts. Checking connected networks. The network is connected successfully. Host discovered. Inspects Host. Host check OK. The Host binding. Your current level is 1st level, the system rewards five hundred gold coins, six bags of forage grass seed, each bag can plant land one mu, you existing reclaimed land: a piece, area is ten mu, you can purchase seed that you need in the store, and sell at the store the fruit of harvest for gold coins, as a result of the network fault while you can enter Farm freely, you can only contact with the main engine, unable to contact with friends. Please forgive the inconvenience ."
Adam just stood in place dumbly. It sounded like a dream. Dick played the game back on his Earth. But what was is it doing here, in his brain with no computer to run?
- Entering the Farm.
And here he is. It isn't his castle any more, but an open area. It's big, about ten mu. There was a small spring with a bucket nearby. A brand-new shovel. There was a small thatched roofed hut with two jars under the window. They were labelled too. "Insecticide" and "Herbicide". And the hut itself was labelled as a warehouse. A thick fog surrounded this surreal place, demarcating it's boarders.
Dick recognized the view all too well, even if he more enjoyed reading and writing than gaming. It really was the familiar game, the Farm! The game wasn't too time consuming, he leveled up enough to open the Ranch, once.
„Spatial soil, 1st level. Wasteland has opened up. Can plant agricultural crops, enhances the crops maturing time ten times. You may carry over the Space use. You may improve the land outside of the Space."
- Good Heavens, isn't it fantastic?! - laughs Dick.
Just a few minutes ago Dick was sure, that he arrived on this Magic Ark Continent only to be doomed to an ordinary life to the end of his day - with no Magic and no Battle Qi. And here it is. His very own brand of Magic, this Spatial Farm. At the very least it should be enough to bring the Buda Family, that is his responsibility now, back to prosperity. Even if it won't be good enough to make a real comeback and trample all the enemies.
Dick managed to regain his calm. He run his hand along the blade of the shovel. He wanted to check it, as it has mysterious kind of look around it too.
- Shovel, the tool, 1st level. Turns soil automatically. Does ten mu daily. May work outside of the Space too.
Dick smiled again. He touched the bucket. - "Bucket, too, 1st level. Performs automatic land irrigation. Irrigates 10 daily. May work outside of the Space too."
- Herbicide, the agricultural chemicals, toxic, 1st level. Kills weeds automatically. Don't ingest. Works outside of the Space too.
- Basket, tool, 1st level. Gathers the fruit automatically. Does ten mu daily. Works outside of the Space too. Puts the harvest obtained in the Warehouse automatically.
Everything was similar to the standard game's mechanics. All the changes just improved on it, making it more accommodating to his circumstances.
Dick hurried to enter the thatched roofed hut. It wasn't big. But it contained a wooden bed, a table, four chairs, a cabinet, furnace and furnace accessories, a set of tableware and last but not the least some type of computer with a monitor. Now, that was really unexpected.
Dick moved to the monitor. It displayed two icons. One was "the store" and another "the Farm synopsis".
He selected the Farm synopses hastily. Where did the Farm come from? Why did he got it at all?
It looked like the game he was playing in his world become a system, bound to Dick. Even if he cannot access any computer network on his Earth here, he can use all the important Farm's functions, even the Store. He may buy things with gold coins in the store, sell things to the store, he may bring anything from the Farm outside, can bring anything from outside into the Farm whenever he wished to do so.
The Farm's functions were limited now, at the 1st level, however. To used advanced functions, to expand the Farm, to use the Ranch he had to level the Farm up. The obvious way to level the Farm up was just to use it, to grow some agricultural products. But he could also get the exp for the Farm and level it up by bringing some special products from the Ark Continent inside. It was OP, it looked like a cheat.
It looked like the development of the Farm wasn't the difficult matter now. Moreover, the Buda Family comeback didn't seem impossible like it was before. Dick started to make some plans.
As the soil and water from his Farm would improove the Black Wasteland here, as he levels the Farm up, he can recruit more troops and become the local superpower. From this base he may achieve anything.
When Dick awoke from his daydreams, he selected the Store's icon. "Welcome to the Spatial Shop, what do you want to buy?" The selection of some Earth's crops was displayed with the price-list. It was the same as in the game, no need to look too much.
The cabinet didn't have any system prompt to it. He checked the things inside.
- Purse. May store gold coins. It has no upper limit. There are 500 coins inside. You may not use the gold coins outside of the Farm Space at your low level.
It looked like the high level Farm would allow him to bring and use it's currency outside of it's space. It was amazing!
Dick continued his inspection.
- Pest Releasing Tool, 1st level, can release the insect type of pests fifty times daily. May be used outside of the Farm's Space.
- Weed Releasing Tool, 1st level, can the release weeds that would compete for the nutrition with the crops. May be used fifty times daily. May be used outside of the Farm's Space.
Dick smiles and puts these dangerous Staffs away. Then he walks to the small thatched-roofed hut of the Warehouse.
- Warehouse, 1st level. It stores Items. There is no limit on the type and the quantity of the Items stored. Works with the Items outside of the Farm's Space too. Six bags of the forage grass seeds are in stock.
He tries the wooden door of the Warehouse. It won't open. Looks like a decoration with no practical use. In any case just the functions of this Warehouse sounds OP. From the Adam's memories Dick knows that while there are Space Mages Artifactors in this world and there are some magic tools around, they are rare and not nearly as powerful as these. And only Nobles may have some.
Some several hundred cubic meters Storage would be called Divine Artifact here. Moreover, local Storage won't be able to store any living creature, while his Warehouse doesn't limit the stored Item's type at all.
Now Dick needs to plant something. It's important to grow something edible on the ten mu of his Farm and to level it up in the process. He opens the Shop Interface. The second level agriculture crops seeds aren't available at his (his Farm's) level. That leaves the forage grass, a radish, a carrot and a cabbages' seeds. Everything really works the same as the game here.
It's 50 gold coins for every bag of the radish seed. It would be enough to plant ten mu (10 mu = 0.6144 ha = 1.518 acre). 10 mu may produce some 40 ton - 40 000 kg radishes. You may sell that production for 500 gold coins in the system store. It was worth about 50 000 Yuan on Earth. If you go by this comparison, one gold coin equals 100 Yuan (15 US dollars).
Thus planting radishes is very cost-effective, even if the difference from carrots and cabbages isn't all that big. Actually Dick choose radishes for the exp they bring towards the Farm's leveling. It was the critical time for the enterprise expansion. Grow crops, level up, purchase more land, grow more crops... While you sleep, the enemy is leveling up! It's that simple.
- Radish seed, one bag, plantable. You may bring it out of the Farm's Space. You may plant 10 mu area now.
The problem is Dick was gamer, not a farmer. He didn't want to plant these seeds himself. He didn't know where to start, really. Should he delegate the responsibility? But than, this Farm worked almost exactly like the game. May be? Yes! It was enough to make a wish. The shovel flew to dig small pits, the seed bug dropped the seeds in the right places. The iron bucket flies to water the seeds. Then the shovel will bury the pits. It should be the same as the work of some few experienced laborers. And our farmer stands unexpectedly idle. Great!
It took some time to figure the things out and to start using the Farm properly. Dick hurried to return to his room in the Iron Mountain's castle before Green has the chance to find him absent and starts to worry. Well, it shouldn't be that long, at least. The time in the Farm's Space would run faster than in his castle.
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