New ally ?

My name is Tang Zihao, a Chinese person from Earth who was mysteriously summoned to the world of Terre—a Medieval fantasy world with the limited and selective presence of magic and a very "Medieval" feel. From the moment of confusion when I arrived, I had some seemingly...unfriendly encounters. From being chased for many days by a battalion of Cazadors, who are like Crusaders with much higher physical strength (STR) and endurance (CON) than ordinary people, forcing me to hide in oak and maple forests, to being chased harshly by the locals who regarded me as an outsider, I sought refuge in the barren lands of Baron Samel. Located to the west of the empire, Baron Samel's territory provided a place of shelter and opportunity where I endeavored to build a new life using the knowledge and skills from my homeland.

Am I happy? No. Being summoned to a strange world by someone merely experimenting with summoning magic and then disappearing without a trace is hardly something to be happy about. My life on Earth was quite good, and my relationships with my family members were very close, so I also miss home, feel regretful, empty, and sometimes want to give up.

I also don't like the life in this new world even a bit, but since it's fate, I go along with it.

Back in China, I lived in a well-off family, though not exactly wealthy, but I had many experiences when I was young, practiced many skills, traveled to many places in the country, studied history, geography, culture, and some local crafts. My parents placed great importance on education, so I learned to use many different languages and dialects, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka Chinese, Wu Chinese, Japanese, English, German, and French. Until I discovered the Universal Language spell, which made this ability of mine useless.

However, the limit of this spell used on me and those summoned to this world between the ages of 10-19, specifically to the Federation of Mikhand Empire as slaves, only covers the languages used within this empire.

The transition to life in Terre was marked by numerous challenges and discoveries, filled with trials and my determination. I carefully selected a refuge to ensure safety, security, and convenience for travel. I also chose a place where I could freely develop myself. Hiding among a peaceful bamboo forest in the territory of Baron Samel near the west, I began the challenging task of survival. From the thriving bamboo in the area, I started by making essential items: paper, tools, and shelter. Bamboo, a familiar material from Earth, which also exists in this parallel world, proved incredibly useful. I carefully harvested mature stems, soaked them to soften before meticulously pounding them into pulp with a heavy stone. Through a complex and lengthy process of sterilization, drying, and soaking, the pulp was then spread evenly on a flat surface and left to dry, forming sheets of paper and cardboard for making blank books to record my days in this new world. Even if I no longer live, someone might read it, and I won't be forgotten. The rest I sold to merchants to earn money. This income provided me with quite a bit of money as scholars loved using this bamboo paper. Due to high demand, almost every week a few merchants would come to exchange bamboo paper with me at a higher price than other types of paper.

After that, I continued to create other tools for living. With carefully sharpened bamboo knives and brooms made from animal hair tied to bamboo handles, I crafted essential tools for daily life. Thicker bamboo stems were used to frame a humble bamboo hut, with the hut's walls woven from bamboo mats that provided both insulation and protection from the elements. Fire, an essential element for warmth and survival, prompted me to produce charcoal. Gathering firewood from the forest, I burned it in a pit covered with earth to limit oxygen, creating charcoal. By further heating the charcoal in steam, I created activated charcoal, crucial for filtering water from nearby streams and ensuring my health and mental well-being.

As I settled into my new refuge, I embarked on a new, cherished activity: cultivating tea. Choosing a sunny hillside overlooking the swampy lands of Baron Samel, I carefully prepared the soil and sowed Longjing and Biluochun tea seeds. With daily care, watering the young shoots and protecting them from pests, the plants thrived under Terre's sun. From picking the young leaves to the process of withering, pan-frying, rolling, and drying, the fragrance of Longjing and the delicate aroma of Biluochun became not just a drink for me after a tiring day, but also a source of comfort amid the uncertainties of this strange world and another source of income. As far as I knew, these two teas were highly favored by the western nobles and Baron Samel, who used them regularly.

Besides tea, I also researched making ink using natural dyes extracted from forest berries. Crushing the berries to extract their vibrant colors, I mixed them with salt and vinegar to create a stable ink for writing and recording my experiences. To further self-sufficiency, I planted a mulberry garden. I failed twice before successfully cultivating a proper mulberry garden. They served a dual purpose: harvested fresh for food and fermented into wine, while the leaves fed silkworms to produce precious silk threads, which I spun into fibers and wove into fabric. I also used the wine and fabric for personal use and to create additional income through trade with merchants.

After a year of hard work, I had a stable and fairly prosperous life. However, this did not mean that challenges and difficulties no longer plagued me.

The first issue was magic. Previously, in fairy tales, you might think of magic as a miracle or something mysterious, magical, and wonderful. In Terre, magic has developed and become widespread (only among the nobility and upper middle class). Currently, magic is divided in two ways: by school and by element. By the first method, there are ten schools of magic including Witch (a motif of old witches living in swamps, who actually research both orthodox and forbidden magic—to a certain extent), Sorcerer (a field of magic for those with innate magical talent and abundant mana), Wizard (devotees of orthodox magic), Hag (similar to Witch but they lean more towards forbidden magic), Druid (mages specializing in transformation magic and magic related to plants and water), Necromancer (those specializing in magic related to the dead, curses, the undead, and immortality), Exorcist (with two main branches: Eastern and Western, with missions and goals opposite to Necromancers), Enchanter (specializing in enchanting magic), Priest (similar to Exorcist but more religious), and Shaman (those specializing in plant magic and communication with the dead). By the second method, there are too many to list, with my count reaching 36. The main motivation pushing me towards something I was not good at and found difficult to learn and master was the number of Witches and Hags practicing forbidden magic with inhumane rituals in the area where I settled. This pressure led me to both main branches of the Exorcist school.

The second issue was taxes, bureaucratic procedures, and political tensions between the west and the entire empire. Initially, due to limited knowledge of the local laws, I often taxed 2/3 of my earnings or agricultural produce, along with seasonal price fluctuations of my goods, nearly forcing me to borrow from the baron in whose territory I lived—a dangerous and risky move. Later, a merchant showed me how, and after registering and going through many difficult procedures, I obtained a merchant certificate and negotiated with the tax collector, so I only had to pay 20% in taxes and 10% of my agricultural and handicraft production. I thought life would be easier after that, but it wasn't. Due to disagreements over agricultural, trade, and immigration policies from El'mr (yes, these were issues that seemed boring even to me), negotiations went smoothly and suddenly, the western nobles messed things up, causing trade exchanges to stall, which of course, heavily affected me.

The third issue was the local reptilian humanoid creatures. These native reptilian beings frequently harassed me and the surrounding villagers. Almost every month, they organized seven raids, each with two squads attacking the solid ground area where I settled, each lasting only 15 minutes. They not only destroyed crops but also attempted to kidnap me before retreating. Fortunately, I managed to fend off all their raids. No matter how much effort the army put in, they couldn't completely eliminate them. Ultimately, I had to take matters into my own hands by setting many traps and warnings against these reptilian men. Starting from sharp bamboo spikes planted below the water surface, to increasing dense bamboo planting close to the water surface, to placing bamboo spike traps,... although these methods are not humane by Earthly standards. But in this difficult situation, this is the only way I can do it, simply because hiring guards is much more expensive, and besides, moving to another place is just as risky as when I was first summoned. .

And one night while guarding my home, I encountered something that wasn't them...