Put on

"Young Master, you should get out of bed and have breakfast," an old and stern voice resounded in Zhao Hai's ears. At first, he disregarded it, assuming it was a headache-inducing background noise from his computer or a soap opera playing in the background.

However, the voice persisted, reminding him, "Young Master, as a person of nobility, rising on time is a good habit."

This caught Zhao Hai's attention. The voice didn't seem to come from his computer; it sounded close to his ear and remarkably real, unlike the distorted sound his faulty speakers would produce.

Despite the throbbing headache, Zhao Hai mustered the strength to open his eyes. To his surprise, the ceiling above him was not that of his own home but rather a canopy of gauze.

Confused, Zhao Hai turned his head and noticed that he was lying on a large wooden bed. Standing by his bedside was a middle-aged man with meticulously combed grayish-white hair, a stern expression, and a calm gaze.

Zhao Hai stared blankly at the serious old man before him. As he scanned his surroundings, he realized he was in a rudimentary stone house. Apart from the bed he was lying on, the only other furniture was a desk and chair. The floor and walls appeared to have been recently cleaned, and a wooden window frame with a layer of white paper served as a makeshift window. Overhead, a shining stone provided illumination. The house seemed devoid of any other belongings.

The old man spoke again, "Young Master, you're alright now. Please get up promptly. As a person of nobility, it's important to maintain a disciplined life. It's breakfast time, so I kindly ask Young Master to rise."

Zhao Hai's eyes shifted between the old man and his surroundings. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, but the ensuing pain caused him to faint.

Meanwhile, Green Buda observed Zhao Hai's fainting, momentarily taken aback. He hurriedly walked outside, where four people stood. Two of them were young men who appeared to be in their early teens, towering over two meters in height. They had strong, dark skin, short hair, and an identical appearance, indicating they were twins. However, their expressions seemed vacant and somewhat foolish.

Two women, both old, around 40 years of age, stood there. One was of a very fat build, with blue hair and a kind face, but currently wore an anxious expression. The other was a young girl, merely sixteen or seventeen years old, with long cyan hair and a small oval face. Despite her petite stature, she possessed fair skin and an exceptional beauty. However, she currently had her head lowered, wearing a wooden expression.

As Green emerged, the old woman immediately spoke up, "Green, what's the situation? Has Young Master awakened?"

Green nodded and shook his head. "He woke up briefly but then fainted again. Merine, is your magic not having any effect? Could there be an issue with the medicines? Has someone tampered with them?"

Merine's face turned cold as she replied, "If that's the case, I'll personally deal with those scoundrels. Though Young Master may be a bit of a troublemaker, he is the last bloodline of the Buda Family. Have these ungrateful bastards forgotten what the Old Master did for the Empire in the past? Those ingrates."

Green spoke solemnly, "Go and check on him. If necessary, use Water element Magic to treat Young Master. Regardless of the circumstances, we must protect the final bloodline of the Buda Family."

Merine nodded, but then gave a wicked look to Green and said, "If Young Master is fine, don't you dare enforce any Noble etiquette or demands upon him. We've ended up in this damn place, and what do those Noble customs matter? Let them all go to hell! Look at those Noble faces, it disgusts me."

Green looked at Merine helplessly but remained serious. "No, it won't do. Young Master now holds the status of a viscount. He must behave like a Noble. It's my duty to teach him to become a true Noble, to repay the debt of gratitude owed to the Buda Family."

Merine glared fiercely at Green and said, "If you dare to do anything to Young Master, I won't prepare any food for you. I'll let you starve to death. We don't even know how long we can endure in this place, and as for those people in the imperial capital, do you think Young Master will ever have a chance to return to the Empire? It's nothing but a pipe dream."

Green smiled bitterly and remained silent. He knew that what Merine said was true. They were in this desolate land because of the actions of the Empire's King and the Great Nobles. If not for the Buda Family's significant achievements in the past, they would have likely wiped out the Buda Family altogether.

Although the Buda Family still existed, entering the circle of Empire's Nobles was now impossible. Even if they deliberately tried to forget, the existence of such a Clan would be erased from their memories.

But what saddened Green the most was that the King of the Empire had given their Young Master, the last successor of the Buda Family, Adam Buda, the Water of Nothingness. This priceless magical treasure could turn a person's strength into nothingness with just a drop. It could instantly strip a magician with divine power or a warrior with military divine power, even a God Rank Knight, of their abilities. They would be left unable to use any magic, battle qi, or even medicinal herbs.

This potion, despite rendering a person unable to use battle qi and magic, does not have any other effects on the individual's body. It simply reduces them to an average person.

If the person was originally an average person, then this potion would be no different from ordinary water. However, if the person was a noble or an expert, it would instantly turn them into a disabled individual, rendering them powerless and casting them into an abyss of despair.

Adam Buda, however, was ordered by the King to drink this potion. As a result, he would never be able to study any magic or battle qi in his lifetime, only capable of living as an average person.

If this had happened to any other noble family, it wouldn't be such a big deal. They could simply live out their lives as average individuals, without worrying about matters of power. But in Adam's case, it meant the end of his life as the last successor of the Buda Family. The Clan, which relied on his strength to make a comeback in the historical arena of the Aksu Empire, was now doomed. The final hope of the Buda Family had been extinguished.

Even without strength, Green had no fear. After all, he was an 8th level warrior, and his wife Merine was an 8th level water element magician. Their granddaughter Meg was also a 6th level wind element magician. With their abilities, the strength of the Buda Family was still considerable. If they were in their original territory, it wouldn't be difficult for the Buda Family to flourish once again. Their fief was located in the southern part of the empire, with a main city and four satellite cities, a populous area with fertile lands. With a few years of low-key development, the Buda Family could regain prosperity.

However, to their surprise, the King decided to trade their fief. They were moved from the prosperous south to the Black Wasteland in the north of the empire.

The Black Wasteland was infamous across the continent as a deathtrap. Although it was vast, covering a third of the total area of the Aksu Empire, no plants grew there. Not a single plant could survive in this desolate land, not even those that could withstand the harsh conditions of a desert.

According to legends, the Black Wasteland was once fertile land. But in a great battle, several high-ranking magicians, including some god-ranked ones, formed an alliance and unleashed a massive spell, transforming the land into a deadly wasteland where nothing could grow.

Despite the challenges posed by the deathtrap of the Black Wasteland, Green remained undeterred. With proper communication and trade, they could engage in business activities to sustain themselves. However, the Black Wasteland was surrounded by the forsaken Dwarf Iron Mountain, and crossing the mountain led to the Carrion Swamp, one of the five forbidden areas on the continent. This Carrion Swamp happened to be part of the Buda Family's territory, which was the largest fief within the Aksu Empire.

However, the only neighboring territory was owned by the Purcell Family. Although there was a prior engagement between the Buda and Purcell Families, given the current dire situation of the Buda Family, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to marry into the powerful Purcell Family. Thus, the Black Wasteland had truly earned its reputation as a deathtrap.

Fortunately, the small town fort on the abandoned Dwarf Iron Mountain was still under the control of the Empire. The effects of the spell did not reach the mountain, allowing some patches of land to be cultivated. However, the region was plagued by hungry undead.

Upon learning that their fief had been traded to this desolate place, Green swiftly converted all of the Buda Family's remaining funds into slaves, provisions, seeds, and tools. He brought Adam, who remained unconscious after drinking the Water of Nothingness, to the small town fort where they could still find a place to live.

Accompanying Green on this journey were his wife Merine, their granddaughter Meg, and the twin orphans Blockhead and Stonehead that Adam's father had adopted in the past. They were accompanied by a group of 100 slaves.

During the journey from the Empire to the Black Wasteland, Adam remained unconscious. Fortunately, Merine, being a magician, was able to provide regular magical treatments to ensure Adam's safety and well-being. Yesterday, she had examined Adam's condition and believed that he would wake up today. That's why Green approached the bed to wake up Adam. However, to their shock, the person lying on the bed was not Adam but an Earthling named Zhao Hai who had somehow taken on Adam's appearance.