Chapter 021

Chapter 021

Bai Xiaoyu patted the large black egg. "I'm really fine. How about you, Big Black? Does it hurt?"

The large black egg wobbled like a Weeble, nodding and shaking its head to give Bai Xiaoyu an answer.

I'm used to it; it's not that painful.

If I endure it, it'll be fine.

Bai Xiaoyu paused, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the big black egg. "Big Black, eggs that lie aren't good eggs."

The big black egg hopped over, eagerly seeking Bai Xiaoyu's palm. I'm very well-behaved; it just hurts a little. If Bai Bai strokes me, it won't hurt anymore.

Bai Xiaoyu looked at the big black egg as it lay down again and continued touching it, noticing that its temperature was slightly higher than the others.

His thoughts drifted to the large, indistinct claw that had pushed out his mental energy—was that Big Black's claw?

After Yu Xi finished three bottles of nutrient solution and transformed back into his beast form, he also offered his wolf head.

The big black egg immediately jumped up from the ground and knocked White Wolf away.

Bai Xiaoyu watched the chaotic scene and decided to let them have their fun, taking the medicinal herbs upstairs to refine more nutrient solutions.

The previous batch of nutrient solutions had already been consumed, so now was a good time to make some more.

This time, he needed to refine a lot of solutions, which required a large quantity of herbs.

After sorting everything, Bai Xiaoyu began refining.

He spent three hours refining, and when he looked at the full box in front of him, there were a hundred bottles of nutrient solutions.

The cost of all these herbs this time was over 800,000 credits.

This was money he had earned from selling previous solutions and the income from streaming the rotten eggs, which he had mostly spent on herbs.

Now that Big Black Egg and the assistant were eating more, he wasn't sure how long these nutrient solutions would last.

In addition to the herbs for refining nutrient solutions, he also bought a batch for the Vitality Cultivation, Repair, and Cleansing Elixirs, as they all needed medicinal baths.

After another two hours, he ended up with 100 bottles of nutrient solutions, 30 bottles of Vitality Cultivation Elixir, and 30 bottles of Repair Elixir. He couldn't refine the Cleansing Elixir because he lacked the Cleansing Herbs.

Carrying the box of nutrient solutions downstairs, he found the black and white ones facing off, but they immediately surrounded him.

Big Black Egg: So many top-quality nutrient solutions! I'm hungry, and with so many, we can have three meals a day.

White Wolf: Looks like a hundred bottles. With so many, can we eat our fill?

Ever since following Bai Ge for medicinal baths, he needed more and more nutrient solutions.

Bai Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow. "Are you hungry?"

Receiving nods and hops, Bai Xiaoyu started distributing the food. "Come, let's see how much you need..."

Fifteen minutes later, Bai Xiaoyu saw that twenty bottles were already empty in the delivery box. He had thought this batch would last half a month, but now it seemed it might only last five days?

White Wolf realized he had eaten a lot and nervously looked at the row of empty bottles, trying to hide a few behind him.

Then he remembered something and quickly ran off, soon dragging a large box with his mouth to Bai Xiaoyu, sitting down and wagging his tail wildly.

Bai Ge, these are the herbs I collected. Unlike that gluttonous Big Black Egg, I can pay for my meals.

Big Black Egg was devouring inside the energy shield. The taste of the solutions had changed again, even more terrible than before. But if he ate fast enough, the terrible taste wouldn't catch up to him!

When he saw White Wolf approaching Bai Xiaoyu, Big Black Egg initially became wary, but then he saw something that made him withdraw into himself again.

That white wolf could help Bai Bai collect herbs, but he hadn't even hatched yet and didn't have any claws. He couldn't pick anything; he'd crush the herbs...

Soon, Bai Xiaoyu received a depressed Big Black Egg.

He didn't understand why an egg could be so melancholic.

To ensure Big Black Egg's mental health, Bai Xiaoyu comforted him for a while.

Afterward, Bai Xiaoyu went to check on the other eggs.

This time, he focused on the second egg, thinking about how the half-beast child was affected by dark matter, and the combination of Vitality Cultivation Elixir and Cleansing Elixir in the bath seemed effective against the black substance on Big Black and White Wolf.

He recalled the black impurities released from the herbs during the refinement process and wondered which one was the dark matter of the insectoids.

He also remembered removing the original repair agent from the first egg, which contained similar black impurities, though far less potent than those on Big Black and White Wolf.

Such a level of black threads would be unbearable for a youngling.

But Big Black Egg had so many.

Bai Xiaoyu called out to the system in his mind, "System, which of these impurities is the dark matter that pollutes the younglings?"

System: "Naturally, the one inherent in the herbs. Not everyone can withstand the level of dark matter present on Big Black and Yu Xi."

Bai Xiaoyu: "What about the dark matter on them?"

System: "Host's permission level is insufficient."

Bai Xiaoyu took out the system's scroll and noticed that new information had appeared on the previously blank section.

The interstellar environment is polluted, affecting both humans and plants to varying degrees. Especially humans, who ingest dark matter through the food chain and other means, impacting their potential and fertility. The dark matter in their bodies is passed down to the next generation, weakening the strength of interstellar humans over generations.

The solution mentioned was to extract the dark matter, especially during the incubation period, before the eggs hatch, to remedy everything.

This aligned with Bai Xiaoyu's thoughts. As he continued reading, he came across a line — "For the method to resolve this, please discover it on your own, Host."

Bai Xiaoyu snapped the scroll shut and tossed it back into the system compartment, realizing he shouldn't have expected anything from the system.

He touched Egg No. 2, feeling two different sets of tiny feet kicking alternately inside. For now, this situation could still be salvaged.

If it were medicinal herbs, he could directly melt them in the alchemy furnace, refine them repeatedly, and then use his mental power to extract the dark matter.

However, living eggs couldn't be treated that way. Looking at the remaining less than one-third of the Cleansing Elixir, he made a decision.

He carried Egg No. 2 back to the living room and placed it in the alchemy furnace.

After the unexpected rush with Egg No. 1, he now had experience in using the alchemy furnace to repair eggs. He was confident that even if he couldn't extract the dark matter from Egg No. 2, he wouldn't harm the little one inside.

Bai Xiaoyu filled the furnace with warm water adjusted to the right temperature, watching the egg submerged in the steaming water. Compared to the massive black egg nearly filling the bathtub, Egg No. 2, slightly larger than a watermelon, seemed quite petite.

Then he covered the furnace, adding a bit of medicinal herbs to the small chamber for refinement, which would then enter the main chamber of the alchemy furnace.

With one hand on the eggshell, he kept his mental power focused on the movements inside.

As the Vitality Elixir began to work, the two different sets of feet seemed to kick more frequently.

The Vitality Elixir was meant for body strengthening and wasn't too comfortable. The real challenge would come with the Cleansing Elixir.

Bai Xiaoyu's mental power conveyed reassurance as he gently tapped the eggshell, preparing the little one inside.

Feeling it was about time, he dripped three drops of the Cleansing Elixir.

Thirty seconds later, the feet inside the egg kicked violently.

Bai Xiaoyu knew the little one inside was uncomfortable, but the concentration wasn't high enough yet; there were no signs of the dark matter being extracted.

It seemed the concentration of the Cleansing Elixir wasn't sufficient.

He added a few more drops, but it still wasn't enough.

After several attempts, Bai Xiaoyu frowned.

This was already the highest concentration his own body could handle when soaking in the medicinal bath. Adding more made him nervous.

After all, he was an adult, while the fragile youngling inside the egg was on a completely different level.

However, he noticed that although the egg was uncomfortable, it hadn't reached an unbearable point. The little feet kicked forcefully.

Bai Xiaoyu cautiously added three more times until the egg reached its limit. The two different sets of feet slowed down, occasionally twitching.

Bai Xiaoyu resisted the urge to stop out of sympathy. Come on, little one. This pain now means hope for transforming back into a Beastman later.

Soon, black threads of impurities appeared in the translucent liquid inside the egg, which Bai Xiaoyu used his mental power to remove.

The pale green transparent liquid in the alchemy furnace gradually turned black.

Bai Xiaoyu acted quickly, extracting the seeping dark matter, fearing the little one might not withstand it.

But in the next moment, he realized he had overthought it. The originally exhausted little one inside had recovered its spirit, kicking its feet joyfully as Bai Xiaoyu washed the egg.

Bai Xiaoyu recalled how, after soaking in a medicinal bath with half the concentration, his body couldn't handle it and he slept until morning.

Now, seeing the lively little one inside the egg, he realized his previous assumption about their different levels was correct.

He had overestimated his own body. No wonder he was known as the biggest waste on Imperial Star, unable to match even an unhatched youngling.

Famous indeed.

Looking at the remaining Cleansing Elixir, based on his own standard, he could give each of the eighteen eggs one treatment. But...

He silently used Egg No. 2 as the standard, reducing the number by at least half.

And it would take more than one treatment to completely expel the dark matter from the eggs.

Bai Xiaoyu's face remained composed as he focused on Egg No. 2. The human-shaped foot on the egg had changed, with all five human toes turning into beastly claws.

At first glance, it looked deformed, but Bai Xiaoyu knew it was a good start.

This method seemed effective, but...

There wasn't much Cleansing Elixir left. So far, he and Yu Xi had only found one Cleansing Herb.

Now, not only did they need it for themselves, but also for the eighteen eggs.

Where could they find more Cleansing Herbs?

Just as he was worrying, Yu Xi contacted him via optical brain.

"Xiaoyu, someone is looking for you. It seems to be a parent of one of the eggs."

Bai Xiaoyu was taken aback. "A parent? I'll be right down."

Carrying Egg No. 2, he went downstairs and saw a fair-skinned youth who looked around eighteen but was somewhat pale.

"Hello, may I ask which egg's parent you are?"

The youth with fox-like eyes retracted his gaze from the big black egg and Yu Xi, smiling slightly at Bai Xiaoyu. "Hello, I am the superior of the parent of today's Egg No. 1. I'm here to find my superior."

The youth's eyes sparkled with warmth, but his demeanor was far from youthful, resembling an adult in a teenager's body.

Bai Xiaoyu didn't ask further. "What can I do for you?"

The boy nodded and then shook his head, "I am Su Ran, the adjutant of Marshal Bai from the Sixteenth Legion. Please give me your guidance."

At this moment, Dahan Dan and Yu Xi confronted each other again. Yu Xi dragged a pile of herbs to show off to Dahan Dan. Then he handed a herb to Bai Xiaoyu and said excitedly, "Brother Xiaoyu, I actually found another Cleansing Root today. Look."

Bai Xiaoyu took it and patted Xiao Xi's head, "Found another one? Xiao Xi is really capable."

Dahan Dan went straight into a sulk.

Seeing Dahan Dan like this, the young man's eyes flickered, "May I take a look at that herb?"

Bai Xiaoyu handed it over, "Sure."

The young man asked, "You need this herb very much, don't you?"

Bai Xiaoyu nodded, "Currently, we need it very much. This is a Cleansing Root, and there are very few of them. We've only found two so far."

The young man glanced at Dahan Dan out of the corner of his eye, "Our special task force of the Sixteenth Legion is spread across the entire galaxy. We can assign a mission for them to find more, but we need our boss's approval."

Hearing this, Bai Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, but then he felt a bit disappointed, "Unfortunately, I don't know your boss."

Dahan Dan sensed Bai Xiaoyu's mood and jumped in front of him, circling around anxiously.

Bai Bai, wait until I hatch and I'll help you find lots of Cleansing Roots.

The young man was stunned, "..."

His superior must have agreed.

Using his optical brain to scan the data of the Cleansing Root, as a considerate subordinate, he immediately assigned the mission.

At the same time, people of various identities across the galaxy suddenly became excited.

The boss is fine; after being missing for half a year, he has finally given them another mission!

They had to do this well!!!