Shang Chuan: "I've acquired quite a lot. Most of it has been sent to Chariot for smelting."
Lan Qingyou: "What about things like bamboo and reeds?"
Shang Chuan: "I've gotten some. Do you need them now?"
Lan Qingyou: "Give me some first. I don't have much to do right now anyway."
Shang Chuan: "Alright."
The reason Lan Qingyou wanted Shang Chuan to acquire things like bamboo and reeds was to make paper.
It would be a major hassle if she couldn't keep records during her research.
Even though she had things like cards, nothing was as convenient for quick recording and reference during an experiment as actual paper.
So, for the sake of the future, Lan Qingyou decided to produce a batch.
Whether it was for her own use or for the others in the group, it was a necessity.
Furthermore, as Vivian had mentioned, they were almost out of toilet paper. There was a huge demand for such daily necessities.
This applied to Lan Qingyou herself as much as it did to everyone else.
Of course.
She hadn't forgotten about the cold medicine and diarrhea medicine she had mentioned before; she just wanted to take things one step at a time.
After all, she had plenty of time, didn't she?
Making paper was incredibly simple for Lan Qingyou.
She just needed to design an alchemy circle for separation and synthesis.
If there was any technical difficulty, it was likely the issue of shaping and setting the paper.
Ordinary paper would have been one thing.
But the two types of paper she needed—writing paper and toilet paper—were anything but ordinary.
After several experiments that resulted in paper that crumbled the moment it was touched, Lan Qingyou frowned and began to think of a solution.
Her direction was correct, and the construction of the alchemy circle was complete.
In fact, the finished product had been created; it was just too fragile to use.
It seemed the knowledge she had learned from Professor Seymer wasn't entirely practical in this world.
If that was the case, she needed to use the knowledge of this world.
Hmm!
Hadn't she just made Setting Potion and Softening Potion earlier?
Perhaps those two potions would come in handy?
With that thought, Lan Qingyou immediately began brewing the potions.
It only took her four hours. Although four hours would cause the potions to degrade, a non-attribute potion like this wouldn't degrade to a significant degree.
This was a time-saving method Lan Qingyou had summarized through her long experience of brewing potions.
By adding the Setting Potion during the molecular restructuring within the alchemy circle, she could obtain paper suitable for writing and reading.
And by adding the Softening Potion, she could obtain soft yet strong toilet paper.
Lan Qingyou tested them. Both types were excellent and didn't crumble at a touch like before, which left her very satisfied.
Flap flap flap—
Just as Lan Qingyou was converting bundles of processed bamboo strips and reeds into paper through the alchemy circle, Steel Wool flew over quickly.
“Chirp!”
“What's wrong?”
Lan Qingyou frowned slightly as she saw the little fellow tugging at her clothes with its beak.
This guy was acting abnormally; at least, it had never done anything like this before.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp!!!”
The little fellow fluttered its wings and pulled at Lan Qingyou.
“Do you want me to go with you?”
Lan Qingyou roughly understood what Steel Wool was trying to do.
“Chirp!”
Steel Wool spread its wings slightly; it seemed that was indeed the case.
“Let's go then.”
Lan Qingyou nodded and activated her talent. With her weight reduced to zero, she was pulled along through the air by Steel Wool.
However, she soon realized that the little guy seemed to be taking her downstairs.
From the 3rd floor to the 2nd floor, and then from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor.
Finally, they stopped at the 1st floor herb field, which was bathed in sunlight.
“What did you bring me here for, you little—”
Lan Qingyou spoke with a hint of exasperation, but before she could finish, a butterfly fluttered its wings and flew past her eyes.
Lan Qingyou looked closely and saw that the butterfly was almost entirely transparent except for the outline of its body and wings, looking as if it were made of crystal.
Its transparent wings even shimmered with specks of colorful light under the sun, looking strikingly beautiful.
As it flew, Lan Qingyou saw even more of these transparent butterflies.
They were either playing in the air or resting on the herbs, adding a great deal of life to the entire 1st floor.
Elf butterflies!!?
Lan Qingyou suddenly looked up at the Crystal Nest on the ceiling. She found that the nest, which had been packed with over twenty butterfly pupae, now contained nothing but cracked shells, save for one or two that had yet to hatch.
As long as there was sufficient mana, an herb field didn't really require her personal maintenance. Coincidentally, the Spring of Repose, which could produce its own water element essence, was naturally brimming with mana, so she hadn't needed to worry about it.
That was why she hadn't come down to check on it for a while.
She hadn't expected to see the hatched elf butterflies upon coming down this time!
She had to admit, it was a pleasant surprise.
From the previous twenty-odd pupae, a total of twenty elf butterflies had hatched. Seeing them weaving through the sunlight, flowing water, and herb field gave Lan Qingyou an indescribable sense of pastoral beauty.
She was thoroughly intoxicated by the sight.
When an elf butterfly flew near her, Lan Qingyou reached out her hand, and the butterfly obliged by landing directly on her finger.
The elf butterfly's snow-white body and nearly transparent wings made it look like a tiny sprite, evoking a sense of tenderness.
Perhaps it was because they were so beautiful that Lan Qingyou suddenly felt the 1st floor herb field was a bit small.
It wasn't that she was being ungrateful; she just felt that letting these little cuties fly around in a place with a ceiling was somewhat stifling.
Should she try moving these herb fields outside?
For instance, could she start an herb field out in the open?
Well, perhaps she could ask Jiang Lan about this later, since she was the expert on planting.
After all, Jiang Lan was the only one in the group who had territory outside her shelter. Lan Qingyou felt that asking her was definitely the right move.
Gently lifting her hand to let the elf butterfly fly away, Lan Qingyou went up to the 3rd floor.
The Tower: "@The Empress If I want to build fields outside the shelter, what do I need to do?"
The Empress: "You're going to farm?"
The Tower: "No, I've planted an herb field, but it's inside the shelter and the area is quite small. I want to see if I can plant outside."
The Empress: "That's easy. Surround the perimeter of your shelter with a fence, then draw the same magic patterns as your shelter to link them."
The Empress: "However, since it's in the wild, the protective effect of this link isn't as good as the shelter itself. It gets breached by monsters from time to time."
The Empress: "If you have flying monsters there, I personally wouldn't recommend it."
The Tower: "How did you solve the problem in the end?"
The Empress: "Greenhouses. I use greenhouses—glass greenhouses, courtesy of young Chariot."
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