Gloves, light armor, leg guards, long boots, and helmet; a total of five body parts needed protection for the two people.
The young girl didn't seem to care as she stood with hands on her hips, chin up, while Li Ang was cautious in his operations.
The only thought he had after measuring was that her figure was really petite, but surprisingly well-developed despite her size...
The entire afternoon was spent on crafting; without the system's support, it would have been difficult for Li Ang to be so efficient.
Towards the end, it wasn't ores that were lacking, but the materials for making the connecting buckles and padding. Li Ang had already turned Zoe's dad's blacksmith shop upside down and still came up short, resulting in some discomfort when wearing the finished products.
"Just make do for now; the equipment will be replaced anyway."
Li Ang placed the single glove, helmet, and light armor in front of Zoe. She watched them eagerly, like a cat with dilated pupils, impatient to try on the equipment.
While explaining how to wear and secure the armor, Li Ang also donned his own equipment, trying it once first to adjust any issues.
"Hehe, this helmet looks ugly when you wear it," Zoe laughed, pointing at Li Ang.
He touched the helmet encasing his head's contours and shook his head, "This kind of standard equipment is definitely not going to be pretty."
After making eight pieces of equipment that afternoon, Li Ang's crafting expertise upgraded.
[Profession: Equipment Creation]
[Tier: 2. Next Level: 19/500 experience]
[Unlocked Blueprints: Fine Weapons [all categories], Fine Armor [all categories], Malleable Magical Artifact [all categories], Malleable Magic Robe [all categories]]
"We won't have to make standard equipment anymore in the future."
Li Ang glanced at the Tier Two blueprints, which required Tier Two materials—not feasible now, but a prospect for the future.
"Can you make very pretty equipment?" Zoe asked, fiddling with the buckle on her helmet.
"Of course."
Li Ang recalled the equipment worn by the Celestial Group's main members: "High-tier equipment, even without being made into armor styles, has defense not inferior to armor. With proper matching, it can be both elegant and aesthetically pleasing."
"That sounds great."
"Do you want to wear it?"
"Wearing it...won't look good on me, I..."
The young girl bit her lip, not saying "short and skinny," but clearly her self-image hadn't adapted yet.
She's still hung up on this.
"It will look good," Li Ang said.
Seeing Zoe was still doubtful, he reiterated.
"It will look good; as long as I get the right materials, I can definitely make clothes that are both suitable for you and beautiful."
After donning the equipment, Zoe turned her head sideways, examining her armored reflection with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Why do some of the equipment feel cold, and some don't? Aren't they all embedded with Water Mist Stones?"
"I almost forgot, let me teach you about magic resonance."
Array equipment requires magic resonance between users to activate effects.
Spiritual traction of magic is an instinct for everyone in Nebis World. With the constant bathing in magic-rich air, even those not skilled in casting who chose physical professions can guide magic to some extent.
Each person's spirituality is unique, so the magic they should carry has a certain frequency. Simply put, it's similar to breathing rate or a fingerprint, a distinguishing characteristic.
Methods to maintain magic frequency resonance, shared among various military arrays in Nebis, later spread to the adventurer realm for distinguishing allies in chaotic battles.
Li Ang opened his hand; Zoe, following his instructions, placed her palm in his. Since she couldn't manipulate magic from a distance like those in the Transcendent Realm, contact was needed to resonate.
Li Ang's palm was enveloped in his magic, and as it mixed with Zoe's magic gathered there, they merged and then separated, returning to their origins.
"It feels...warm, like Li Ang became more approachable..."
"Yes, that feeling means the resonance is complete."
Now, all of the Water Flow Array's skill effects were activated.
Despite there being one slightly flawed piece that required seven units to activate, since they both wore eight pieces of armor, including a Dragon Fang Standard Sword, it still activated the skill.
In this way, both were fully clad with Tier Two equipment, mingled lightly with Tier Three equipment. Unless it was a material or energy attack shaped by magic in the Transcendent Realm, they could defend effectively against ordinary external assaults.
The day passed quickly; by the time they had removed and set aside the equipment, the sun was setting.
"Let's eat. We cobbled breakfast and lunch together with fruits, so to have more energy for tomorrow, let's eat this."
Li Ang took out a large, pristine Two-legged Flying Dragon Egg from his bag, immediately catching Zoe's attention.
The egg of a Two-legged Flying Dragon is a delicacy, or rather, the same could be said for all dragon species creatures.
However, the more powerful the dragon species, the more impurities easily present in their eggs that are difficult to handle, which is why people favor the Two-legged Flying Dragon's easy-to-obtain eggs.
Though Zoe's home had some cooking utensils, she only knew how to use the simplest pot, and the rest had built up layers of grime over the years, with the spices either depleted or spoiled. Li Ang couldn't use the kitchen.
The two cleared a flat area in the yard, built a campfire, opened a hole at the egg's top, and set it directly over the fire to boil—the eggshell making the perfect pot.
Zoe squatted by the fire, hugging her knees, watching the boiling egg with full concentration.
In this pose, she seemed even smaller.
"Brings back memories," Li Ang sighed, "The first time I had a Two-legged Flying Dragon Egg was in a desert, with no conditions nor means, doing it just like this."
"Will it taste good like this?" the girl asked.
"That's where you're mistaken. Do you know why premium ingredients are called premium ingredients? Because even simple cooking can bring out their delicious taste."
"Really?"
Zoe's throat moved slightly; she quickly glanced at Li Ang, felt he wasn't paying attention, and relaxed a little, looking at the roasting egg with shining eyes. Whether it was the reflection of the fire or her excitement, it was unclear.
Sadly, Li Ang saw this scene clearly.
With ample experience, little attempts at hiding stand no chance.
"It's actually missing something; without any seasoning, though pure in flavor, it's still a bit bland."
"Oh, I see."
The light in the young girl's eyes dimmed significantly.
"But I'm prepared."
Li Ang produced a white crystal, slightly blue in the middle.
Expecting this at noon, he'd collected rock salt from the ore site—the rich mineral resource on the Sky Island—consuming a small amount doesn't pose any issues.
The light in Zoe's eyes returned.
How interesting.
Due to the Dragon Race Bloodline's resilience, the egg wouldn't quickly solidify or burn like an ordinary egg, but instead turned into a soft liquid center.
With a sprinkling of rock salt, Li Ang served himself an adequate portion, leaving the rest for Zoe to enjoy.
Scooping some into his mouth, he let out a long sigh.
Finally, in these past days, he could eat something decent.
The silky texture, akin to both cheese and milk, with a hint of savory flavor, even for someone used to rich delicacies, Li Ang found no flaw.
Glancing at Zoe, as expected, after a cautious sip, the young girl froze, then tears started to flow.
"I didn't know something could taste this good?"
"In various aerial realms, there's plenty beyond your imagination."
"Nom, nom, I feel like, nom, I now understand, nom, why you all, nom, like adventuring."
The young girl, taking large scoops of dragon egg, spoke incoherently.
But after this statement, she mentioned nothing further about adventuring.
Dinner turned into a silent affair as they polished off the dragon egg, with Zoe lying on the chair, belly slightly bulging, avoiding Li Ang's gaze, cheeks reddening.
After a while, the girl began to speak.
"Last night, actually I stayed up late before falling asleep."