After receiving Wu Rui's post, Xia Chengfeng canceled the auction. It wasn't a big deal, as the present exchange system was not fully matured yet. There were simply too few magic crystal coins in circulation, and therefore, the response to the auction was somewhat limited.
Xia Chengfeng then proceeded to trade with Wu Rui. He traded the Profession Enlightenment that he could not use for the other party's [Berry Wine Recipe Lv1], [Elf Bow Lv3 Design], and [Unknown Magic Beast Egg Lv0 (Rare)].
He also contacted Yang Kai from Xingyuan and wanted to trade with him for his [Fireball Technique Skill Book (Mage, Alchemist)]. However, Yang Kai immediately refused.
Yang Kai: We only wanted the Profession Enlightenment. Skill books are also very valuable to us at this moment!
Xia Chengfeng had no choice but to reply: Then what do you think about trading your space crystal for a [Corrosive Poison Lv3]?
Yang Kai: Sure!
Yang Kai had a large number of space crystals. However, they were all of the ordinary kind that could only increase the area of a space bubble by one cubic meter.
Most of the ordinary survivors could not even be guaranteed their meals. Nor could they even fill their original space bubble, so they had little use for the space crystals.
Xia Chengfeng traded ten bottles of [Corrosive Poison Lv3] for 100 ordinary space crystals. Coupled with the space crystals that he got from his other trades, he increased the area of his space bubble by 130 cubic meters in one sitting.
Along with the original 370 cubic meters he got, he now had a full 500 cubic meters of space to work with.
After he expanded the area of his space bubble, Xia Chengfeng first enlarged his berry farm and medicinal farm. He made both a four by four-meter square patch and put up a fence around them.
He also had to change the location of the pigpen. Xia Chengfeng studied the [Biogas Digester Design] and started to dig out a biogas digester.
All of these tasks involved strenuous labor. In the past, he would have been panting from exhaustion in less than ten minutes.
However, now that he had become an alchemist and fused with the Life Alchemy Array, the stamina he expended was much lower than his rate of recovery!
If he managed to increase the level of the Life Alchemy Array in the future, he might not even take damage in the event of an attack by enemies!
It was now safe and convenient for him to chop wood and carve stones.
Soon, Xia Chengfeng completed the biogas digester.
Then, he studied the [Stone Building Design Lv1]. He ground down stone by hand to build the stone hut.
He joined the blocks of stone for the hut with clay, then completed a simple stone hut in half a day.
The hut was not large, with only a room and a hall. There was also a small kitchen and a toilet.
The toilet was plain and it did not even have a toilet bowl yet. Xia Chengfeng merely dug up a pit that he had to squat over. The piping of the toilet was connected to the biogas digester, and as he still did not have any containers to store gas, the biogas digester could only be used as a cesspit for the time being.
"Hm, next is the [Elf Bow Lv3]. I need [Refined Steel] x5, [Beast Tendon Lv3] x1, [Magic Crystal] x10, [Earth Element Crystal Lv3] x1."
Xia Chengfeng muttered as he gathered the ingredients and started crafting the weapon.
System Notification: Crafting success. Obtained [Elf Bow (Common) Lv3].
[Elf Bow (Common) Lv3]: A bow used by elves and imbued with earth elemental power," Xia Chengfeng mused.
"I finally have a long-range weapon," he said as he crafted a dozen arrows as a reserve.
Next was the berry wine. Xia Chengfeng boosted the growth of a batch of cranberries with plant essence and stored them in a wooden vat. He then sealed the vat and allowed the contents to ferment. He waited for the wine to form.
"I can now live comfortably!" Xia Chengfeng exclaimed as he laid on his vat that was lined with hide and hay. He spread his limbs out comfortably.
"Well, it's now time to incubate the egg!" Xia Chengfeng took out the [Unknown Magic Beast Egg Lv0 (Rare)] that he got from Wu Rui and observed it.
It was a purple magic beast egg that was about the size of a volleyball. There were various strange markings on the surface of the shell. In his hand, Xia Chengfeng could feel the energy and elemental power coursing within the egg.
"I don't know what it is. Let's make a contract first!" Xia Chengfeng nicked his finger and allowed his blood to fall onto the egg.
The blood had just touched the surface of the egg when it rapidly seeped into the egg.
Not only was the egg absorbing his blood, but it was also absorbing Xia Chengfeng's energy and soul power.
This feeling was similar to how he felt when the divination crystal ball was drawing out his energy. It almost made Xia Chengfeng faint from fatigue!
A few minutes later, a system notification rang out: You have formed a contract with the magic beast egg. You now need energy crystals and magic crystals to incubate the egg.
Xia Chengfeng took out a few energy crystals and magic crystal coins and brought them nearer to the magic beast egg. The egg slowly absorbed the energy within the crystals.
Xia Chengfeng was one of the richest survivors in area 2222. Even so, he had to spend nearly all of his energy crystals as well as 100 magic crystal coins before the magic beast egg stopped absorbing their energy.
"You sure can eat!" Xia Chengfeng cursed.
By this time, the magic beast egg had absorbed a sufficient amount of energy. The creature within the egg was gradually awakening.
The magic beast egg suddenly trembled. The young creature within was trying its best to break through the shell.
Xia Chengfeng waited patiently. A few minutes later, the top of the magic beast eggshell finally cracked open. A little pale-purple head prodded out of the egg.
It had small scales and enormous eyes. It was curiously observing the new world around it. Its tongue was still covered with the contents of the egg.
It seemed still in nourishment and was not fully sated yet, and it even ate the shell it burst out from.
Even though it had just been born, the little creature had perfect teeth. They crunched into the shell of the egg effortlessly.
System Notification: Obtained pet [Two-Winged Lesser Dragon (Juvenile Stage) Lv1].
"To think that it is a lesser dragon—I've profited big time!" Xia Chengfeng was elated. Dragons were the most powerful out of all the magic creatures.
It was extremely difficult to get a dragon as a pet. This was especially so for mature dragons. They would rather die than submit.
Young dragons were also extremely hard to find. But comparatively, it was much easier to come across a lesser dragon. Lesser dragons could also evolve into the bloodline of a dragon and become a pure dragon as they grew older.
Even though this little creature was only a lesser dragon, there was the hope of it growing into a powerful magic creature if he nurtured it patiently.
"Roar!" The little purple creature looked toward Xia Chengfeng after it was done with the shell.
As there was a binding contract between them, the lesser dragon had an innate familiarity with Xia Chengfeng. Thus, it jumped onto Xia Chengfeng's shoulder and licked his face in a display of affection.
"Stop licking me for now. I'll give you a name." Xia Chengfeng carried the creature to take a look at its gender.
"There's nothing there, so it is a female dragon." Xia Chengfeng pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright then, I shall name you Xiaozi. Remember, I'll call you Xiaozi in the future."
"Rrrr," the little creature cried. Xia Chengfeng did not know if she understood what he said.
"Now, I need to give you a bath." Xia Chengfeng had already prepared clean water to wash Xiaozi.
Xiaozi sniffed and whined incessantly. She slurped up the bathwater and even chewed on the wooden basin.
"You can't eat the wooden basin!" Xia Chengfeng pulled the lesser dragon away. Xiaozi gazed at him for a moment and suddenly chewed on its undeveloped wings that were just taking shape. Xia Chengfeng rushed to stop it, "You can't eat yourself!"
"It must still be hungry," Xia Chengfeng muttered and realized he did not have any milk.
As an alternative, he took out a few berries, but Xiaozi only took a sniff and was not interested.
"Then what about meat?" Xia Chengfeng lugged over a piece of cured meat. Xiaozi immediately squealed, "Rrrr." It rushed toward the cured meat with glee.
"Wait, I haven't cooked it yet…" Before Xia Chengfeng could even finish his sentence, Xiaozi had already sunk its jaws into the meat. It dangled the meat in the air and refused to loosen its grip on it.
"Can you eat raw stuff? Hm, I guess magic creatures should have no problems eating raw meat." Xia Chengfeng placed the meat down, and Xiaozi immediately tore through the meat with abandon. It polished off the meat in a few minutes and its belly bulged visibly. Satiated, it pounced into Xia Chengfeng's embrace and fell asleep.