The growth of faith's power clearly comes from the believers' growing devotion, while the boost in physical strength is due to intense physical labor. Linley couldn't help but question if this growth was a bit overblown. Could a few months of digging sand at the bottom of a pool really make someone as strong as Hercules?
The system seemed to catch onto Linley's doubts and quickly reminded him, "Don't get any illusions. Your strength has increased because you've been doing a lot of physical labor lately, kind of like working out at a gym. But this kind of physical labor only stimulates your body so much, and no matter how much you do, it won't make you as strong as Hercules."
"So just digging sand isn't enough? I need to lift weights too?" Linley asked.
"Lifting weights can help, but there are limits to that too. If you want to be as strong as Hercules, you'd have to lift the whole world like he did," the system explained.
Legend has it that Hercules once carried the whole world on his shoulders for the giants, which is obviously fictional. Even though gods exist in this world, it is still a spherical planet. How could Hercules lift the Earth floating in space? Not to mention other galaxies, it's clearly impossible. If Hercules really had that kind of strength, why would he fear Holiness? Compared to strength, Linley craved infinite wisdom more.
"So if I keep reading, can I get smarter?" Linley asked.
"Just reading isn't enough; you need to think deeply too. The knowledge you get from reading can't be directly used for decisions or inventions; it still needs careful thought," the system replied.
"Isn't that the same as regular people?" Linley said, a bit disappointed.
"Regular people's potential is limited. No matter how much they study in their mortal lives, they can't become scientists like Einstein or Newton. But once you become a god, you'll have endless possibilities. As long as you persevere, you can reach any level you desire," the system explained.
Infinite potential... Hope sparked in Linley's heart. Even if he couldn't become Einstein or Newton, being able to become a scientist was something he had never dared to dream of before.
"Give me a book!" Linley said.
A mathematics book appeared out of thin air in Linley's hand. He opened the first page but found it difficult to understand, so he temporarily closed it, deciding to read it slowly later. Learning Greek required true dedication because if he couldn't learn it, he wouldn't be able to communicate. He wouldn't understand what others were saying, and others wouldn't understand what he wanted to say. The reason Linley hadn't been sold into slavery was purely due to luck, as he had brought half a crate of beer.
Having pressure and not having pressure, truly wanting to learn and just saying it are completely different things. If Linley truly made up his mind to learn, he would surely succeed. So, Linley opened the mathematics book again... However, mathematics cannot be forced; you either understand it or you don't. Linley still couldn't understand it, so he closed the book once more.
"I'll look at it later." Linley comforted himself as he exited the divine realm.
"What?" Pandora asked.
"Nothing," Linley replied. "Let's continue working."
That book was not a reward and could only be read in the divine realm; it couldn't be taken out. If it could be taken out, Linley would very much like to know if Pandora, with her eighteen points of intelligence, could self-learn advanced mathematics.
Under Linley's leadership, his followers worked tirelessly for several days and finally dug out all the sand at the bottom of the pool. They then laid the sand on a flat stone surface and planted grapevines, ready for them to grow.
"Once these grapevines take root, we can transplant them into the crevices of the rocks. Wherever there are weeds, we will plant them there. When the grapevines grow and bear fruit, we can use them to make wine," Linley patiently explained to Odysseus.
Odysseus asked curiously, "Why not plant them here directly?"
"This place is just for cultivating the grape seedlings temporarily," Linley patiently explained.
Even though this ground is flat, it floods during rain, washing away the seedlings, and the sun scorches them on sunny days, making it unsuitable for planting. Since the grapevines haven't taken root yet and can't be fixed in the rock crevices, they have to be nurtured on this sandy ground first.
In the future, this land will continue to be used for growing seedlings. The island of Dionysus is vast, and if all the weeds and shrubs are replaced with Dionysian grapevines, we can produce a large amount of wine.
Odysseus then asked, "And what about the goats?"
"Catch them all. Keep those that can be kept for milk, and slaughter the rest for meat," Linley replied. "Also, make a list of the supplies we need, ranked by importance and urgency. I'll go out and see if I can gather some supplies."
"You're going out to get supplies yourself?" Odysseus asked in surprise. "Won't it be dangerous?"
"There will be danger, but we can't stay trapped on this island, cut off from the world. Our strength will only weaken," Linley said firmly.
"Let me come with you," Odysseus suggested.
"No need. Your job here is just as important," Linley refused.
After getting the list, Linley headed to the port and saw that Captain Nemo's new ship was almost finished. Although building a new ship wasn't easy, the Thunder itself was a ship with all the necessary parts and high-quality planks, so a new ship was assembled in just a few days.
The ship was about forty meters long, had two rows of oars, requiring eighty rowers. It had a slender and elegant design with a triangular sail.
Nemo was quite proud of this sail and said to Linley, "Look at this sail. It can utilize both tailwinds and crosswinds, making it very fast and much more flexible than the square sails of the Greeks and Romans."
Linley didn't understand much about this, but he did remember seeing square sails in Athens, including on fishing boats.
"Square sails are definitely better," Dave said defiantly. "With the same height mast, square sails have a larger wind-catching area and are faster. This triangular sail has a smaller wind-catching area and is slower."
"But square sails can only use tailwinds. Triangular sails can utilize crosswinds by adjusting the angle. We can test it at sea if you don't believe me," Nemo retorted.