A Second Visit to the Castle of Black Iron

To be honest, Zhang Tie sometimes felt he was being a bit neurotic. Just like now—even though there was no one else at home, before entering the Castle of Black Iron, Zhang Tie still carefully inspected the small attic room. He made sure the windows and the stairwell were shut tight, sealing the room until it was airtight, before preparing to re-enter the Castle of Black Iron. After all, the experience was too extraordinary, and Zhang Tie wasn't sure if there would be any strange light or sound effects every time he entered. Beyond the shock and surprise, the Castle of Black Iron also brought a sense of pressure from carrying such a secret, so being cautious was always for the best.

After the inspection, Zhang Tie felt as if he had forgotten something. He thought for a moment, patted his head, and muttered to himself, "How could I forget something so important!" With that, he lowered the attic ladder, went downstairs, and headed to the courtyard near the kitchen. On one of the walls hung two strings of dried corn cobs. Zhang Tie took one down, thought for a bit, then went to a corner of the kitchen and dug two sprouting potatoes out of a sack. Only then did he head back upstairs to the attic. In the storage room next to his bedroom, he found the two pieces of Fool's Gold he had tossed aside, grabbed a piece of scrap rebar over a meter long, and finally retrieved the dagger his older brother had given him from his bedside drawer. After gathering these items—some held, some hung on his person—he stood in the room, closed his eyes, and began to sense the archway within his sea of consciousness.

Perhaps because he had already used it twice, the process of sensing the gate was faster this time. Almost as soon as Zhang Tie closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, less than twenty seconds passed before the gate in his mind appeared clearly before him.

"Enter!" Zhang Tie said in his heart. Then, he felt the light in the surrounding space flicker slightly. When he opened his eyes, he was already standing in that strange space.

--Welcome, handsome and imposing Master of the Castle, to the Castle of Black Iron!

The familiar system dialog box appeared before Zhang Tie's eyes once more, disappearing after a few seconds.

"Handsome and imposing Master of the Castle," "Welcome"—these words were just so damn good! Zhang Tie thought to himself with no small amount of pride, then hurriedly checked his "equipment."

The rebar in his right hand was still there, the dagger tucked into his waist was there, the potatoes and corn cob in his left hand were there, and the two pieces of Fool's Gold bulging in his pockets were still there. If anyone saw Zhang Tie in this strange state right now, they would surely think he had lost his mind, never imagining that Zhang Tie was currently ecstatic.

Zhang Tie actually jumped up from the ground and let out two excited shouts. This was great! He really could bring things from the outside world in. Even if he hadn't discovered other functions of the Castle of Black Iron yet, this alone was enough to keep Zhang Tie excited for half the day. Being able to bring things in meant that from now on, Zhang Tie had a secret, portable warehouse that no one else could ever discover. He didn't know how to fully utilize this function yet, but it would definitely come in handy in the future.

"I'm rich, I'm rich..." Zhang Tie spun around in place several times in excitement before slowly calming down to organize his thoughts. Since the first function of the Castle of Black Iron was confirmed, it was time to test its other uses. Thinking of this, Zhang Tie dropped the iron rod and potatoes, took out the two pieces of Fool's Gold and threw them on the ground, and finally set down his dagger. After emptying his pockets, he squatted down, held the dried corn cob in both hands, and began to pluck the kernels off one by one. There were about two hundred kernels on the cob, and after plucking them all, they filled half his pocket. He tossed the bare cob aside, picked up the rebar, and stood up to look around.

The space before him was exactly the same as when he had arrived yesterday: the colorful clouds rolling above, the strange little tree in the center, and the black mud pool—nothing had changed.

After wandering around this vast expanse of land, Zhang Tie finally chose a spot and drove the sharp end of the rebar deep into the soil.

Thwack. The front twenty centimeters of the rebar sank completely into the earth.

Oh, that might be a bit too deep. He remembered his teacher saying in school that ten centimeters was about right. Scratching his head in embarrassment, Zhang Tie pulled the rebar out. Judging by the texture of the soil, the moisture level beneath the surface seemed sufficient, which gave Zhang Tie more confidence.

He drove the rebar in again. Thwack. This time it went in about ten centimeters, half as deep as before. That's about right, he told himself, then pulled the rod out, leaving a small, shallow hole. He took a dried corn kernel from his pocket, placed it in the hole, and smoothed the soil over it. The first seed was planted. This was the simplest way to plant corn, and Zhang Tie's heart was filled with joy. Having succeeded once, the rest would be easier. He followed the same pattern: poke a hole with the rod, drop in a kernel, and cover it up, spacing each hole about fifty centimeters apart. Just like that:

Thwack, one seed, buried...

Thwack, one seed, buried...

Thwack, one seed, buried...

Thwack, one seed, buried...

In just over ten minutes, Zhang Tie had planted all the corn seeds from his pocket, creating seven or eight crooked, irregular rows on a small patch of land. With the corn planted, Zhang Tie pressed on. He ran back to where he had dropped his things, pulled out his dagger, and cut the two sprouting potatoes into five or six pieces each. He returned to the planting area, dug a hole in the dirt next to the corn with his dagger like a dog digging, buried a potato chunk, and repeated the process for the rest, planting a row of potatoes. Having finished all this, Zhang Tie stood up, brushed the dirt off his hands with satisfaction, chuckled foolishly for a while, and then stuck the rebar into the ground as a marker next to his "cultivated" corn and potato fields.

Corn on the left of the rebar, potatoes on the right. Whether they would grow or not was up to heaven.

Having completed the second task for his visit to the Castle of Black Iron today, Zhang Tie was in a great mood. After tidying up his things, he walked toward the mud pool that was constantly bubbling with black gas. He had realized that nothing in this space existed without a purpose; that black mud pool must have a function.

This time, he approached the black mud pool much closer than he had during his first exploration. He walked right up to the edge, stopping only when he was within arm's reach. Of course, Zhang Tie wasn't stupid; he didn't reach out to touch it. The place gave him an extremely dangerous, "keep out" vibe, and he knew that if he reached in, the consequences would likely be tragic.

He circled the strange black mud pool twice, still unable to figure out its use. Finally, his eyes lit up as he thought of a method. He didn't know if it was right, but it needed verification. He ran back to where he had dropped the two pieces of Fool's Gold, picked them up, ran back, and from about ten meters away, tossed one piece into the black mud pool. The moment the Fool's Gold sank into the pool, Zhang Tie hurriedly opened the Castle of Black Iron's management panel and clicked on the basic attributes tab to check.

--Castle of Black Iron

--Length: 1 Krosha

--Width: 1 Krosha

--Spirit Value: 0

--Merit Value: 1

--Basic Energy Reserve: 0

--Special Output: None

Merit Value 1? That's strange. Where did that come from? Zhang Tie was puzzled, but before he could react, he saw the "0" next to "Basic Energy Reserve" jump to "0.1." As the number changed, the font color of the "Basic Energy Reserve" entry became vibrant, shifting from a pale black to a raised, blue text.

--Basic Energy Reserve: 0.1 (Blue)

The raised entry box reminded Zhang Tie of the "Confirm" buttons in the system. So, with a sense of curiosity, he pressed the "Basic Energy Reserve" box, and a semi-transparent log window appeared before him. There were two entries in the log, with one placed at the top center and the rest below.

--Everything in the universe is a manifestation of energy. Matter is solidified low-frequency energy, and space is sublimated high-frequency energy. Therefore, all matter and space can be reduced to primordial energy.

--Black Iron Calendar, May 13th, 889, 20:38: A piece of Fool's Gold was converted by the Pool of Chaos. The Castle of Black Iron has gained 0.1 units of Basic Energy Reserve!

So that strange black pool was called the Pool of Chaos. It actually had a use—it could convert whatever was thrown into it into basic energy. Wasn't that the same principle as the waste incineration plant in Black Flame City? The plant burned trash and used the heat generated to provide warmth for the residents. This Pool of Chaos was the same, just even more impressive! Another mystery solved. Knowing the function of the strange black mud pool made Zhang Tie feel even better. As for the first entry in the log, Zhang Tie vaguely felt it was important, but it was far beyond his comprehension, so he ignored it after reading it once.

Energy, matter, space—why talk so much nonsense? Feeling his intelligence challenged, Zhang Tie thought indignantly, It's just a broken pool, a waste treatment plant. Why make it so complicated? Are you sick?

After closing the log window, Zhang Tie clicked on "Merit Value." He clearly remembered it being 0 when he came last time, so how did it become 1 today? Moreover, the font color and state of "Merit Value" were clearly the same as "Basic Energy Reserve," meaning it could be clicked to view details. So, Zhang Tie clicked it without hesitation.

Like the previous one, the pop-up dialog box contained two entries.

--To punish evil and promote good is the greatest mercy the Creator has placed upon the human world; to revere heaven and love humanity is the closest ladder for mortals to ascend to the Heavenly Kingdom. O fortunate one, on your journey to the Heavenly Kingdom, please manifest the Creator's mercy in the world, let all the gods understand your heart, go and harvest the most sincere joy and gratitude offered to you by billions of living beings, go and end those evil souls and boundless darkness. Become the light, and you will find that when you become the light, you will inevitably walk upon the light; a brilliant and magnificent path has already unfolded beneath your feet.

The content of the first log entry hit Zhang Tie with a massive impact. As he read it, he didn't know why, but his eyes inexplicably grew moist. When he read the second entry, his tears finally couldn't be held back.

--Black Iron Calendar, May 13th, 889, evening: The handsome and imposing Master of the Castle ate a reunion dinner with his family, then voluntarily washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, keeping the home tidy and making his parents feel joyful and gratified. Gained 1 Merit Value.

So, it didn't require anything earth-shattering; as long as he did such simple things, Mom and Dad would be very happy!

The question of Spirit Value remained unsolved, but today's gains were beyond imagination. With a complex mix of emotions, Zhang Tie left the Castle of Black Iron and instantly returned to his attic room. He stood there blankly for a while, then rushed out of the room like a madman...

More than two hours later, when Zhang Tie's father and mother returned home and opened the door, the entire house—from the floors to the walls, to the tables and chairs—had been cleaned anew. Even the corners and cluttered areas they usually ignored were organized neatly and perfectly. Zhang Tie's parents stood at the doorway, unable to react for a long time.

"How did the house change so much? We only went out for two hours. Did we walk into the wrong house?" Zhang Tie's father asked, bewildered.

Zhang Tie's mother also stood with her mouth agape, unable to speak, wondering if something was wrong with her eyes. Just then, Zhang Tie walked down from upstairs, carrying a bucket of water and a mop. The couple understood immediately.

"Son, did you do all this?" His father looked at Zhang Tie as if he were an alien.

"Yeah!" Zhang Tie smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Son, did something upset you? Don't scare your mother like this." Mother reached out, looking a bit nervous as she felt Zhang Tie's forehead. Usually, while Zhang Tie would occasionally help out with chores at home, he had never been this proactive or diligent.

Hearing his mother's words, Zhang Tie felt both touched and ashamed. "Dad, Mom, I'm fine. I was just bored tonight and wanted to give you a surprise. So, are you happy?"

A surprise from their son? Zhang Tie's father and mother exchanged a glance. As they let out a sigh of relief, smiles appeared on both their faces, and they nodded in unison, saying, "We're happy!"

Zhang Tie smiled as well, feeling incredibly satisfied...

When it was time to sleep, alone in his small room, Zhang Tie entered the Castle of Black Iron once more. After tossing the remaining piece of Fool's Gold into the Pool of Chaos to eliminate the final evidence of the Castle of Black Iron's existence in this world, Zhang Tie opened the basic attribute panel of the Castle of Black Iron.

--Castle of Black Iron

--Length: 1 Krosha

--Width: 1 Krosha

--Aura Value: 0

--Merit Value: 2

--Basic Energy Reserve: 0.2

--Special Output: None

The basic energy reserve had increased by 0.1 as expected, and upon opening the log box for the Merit Value, a new entry had appeared.

--Evening of May 13th, Black Iron Calendar 889: The handsome and imposing Castle Master once again took the initiative to clean the house, leaving it tidy and neat, bringing joy and comfort to his parents. Merit Value +1.

With a satisfied smile, Zhang Tie drifted into a deep sleep on his bed...