Chapter 17: Fortress Upgrade

The stone house's surface glowed with a faint light, as if shrouded by a mysterious force.

The light gradually faded, and the stone house's exterior underwent a dramatic change—the original walls were heightened and thickened, transforming into a two-story small fortress.

The roof was covered with thick iron plates; mysterious runes flickered on the stone walls, emitting a faint glow that exuded a solemn, mysterious aura, making the structure both sturdy and extraordinarily splendid.

They looked at the fortress before them, exchanged a glance, and wore satisfied smiles.

Li Qingxuan raised his hand and lightly tapped the stone house's wall, feeling its solid, steady texture, and couldn't help but curl his lips in satisfaction.

"Let's go inside and take a look."

The two entered the stone house; Li Qingxuan first built a fireplace in the living room, then took out the bathroom scroll, preparing to install a bathroom in the stone fortress.

As the scroll unfurled, a soft beam of light suddenly shone, and a spacious, bright, well-laid-out bathroom quietly appeared in the northeast corner of the stone fortress's first floor.

The bathroom was fully equipped with a white toilet, a spacious shower stall, a bright mirror, and soft-glowing lights, making it warm and comfortable.

Li Feifei gazed at the bathroom before her, her eyes flashing with surprise and curiosity; she never imagined Li Qingxuan still hid such a treasure.

She excitedly stepped into the bathroom, touching and looking here and there, just like a child seeing a beloved toy for the first time.

"It's truly amazing; with this bathroom, our lives will be much more convenient." Li Feifei exclaimed.

Li Qingxuan smiled and nodded, saying: "Yes, with this bathroom, our quality of life can be greatly improved. Moreover, I just saw that the bathroom has unlimited electricity; we don't need to worry about power issues at all."

Together they tried out the various facilities in the bathroom, and both felt very satisfied.

Li Qingxuan prepared to later check if there was a kitchen scroll, intending to install a modern kitchen in the stone fortress.

Afterward, the two strolled slowly on the first floor, finding that the overall layout hadn't changed much, but the originally closed bedroom behind the living room had disappeared, replaced by a concealed small door, making the living room's interior space more spacious and bright, the decoration more exquisite and beautiful, and the fireplace cleverly integrated into it.

The east and west bedrooms' areas remained unchanged; the north side of the east bedroom gained the bathroom just seen, while the north side of the west bedroom gained a staircase leading to the second floor.

Going up the stairs to the second floor, they saw the space was equally spacious and bright: a 20-square-meter small hall greeted them, with the two bedrooms arranged side by side facing south; the southeast bedroom had an extra bathroom, while to the north faced a 50-square-meter study, and to its west was the second floor's public bathroom.

Li Feifei looked at the second floor's layout and exclaimed in amazement: "This stone house's upgrade is truly fantastic; it feels like moving into a new home."

Li Qingxuan smiled, nodded satisfactorily, and said to Li Feifei: "Indeed, the second floor's layout is ingeniously designed, and the view is extremely open."

Li Feifei looked around, her eyes flashing with excitement, and said: "Yes, the second floor's space is truly large; we can arrange the study comfortably, placing some shelves and tables and chairs, so we can trade and drink tea here at the same time."

Li Qingxuan smiled and nodded, walked to the study's window, looked at the outside scenery, and said: "The view here is also good; we can see the scenery of Low Hill, and the Spirit Spring is also there."

The two began to busy themselves inside the stone house, purchasing several tables and chairs from the Trading Center, installing bookshelves and tables and chairs in the second-floor study, and building a fireplace in the study, instantly filling the whole room with warmth.

Then they moved the first-floor bedrooms to the second floor, arranging them to be cozy and comfortable.

After a morning of busyness, the two finally finished arranging the stone house; they sat in the second-floor study, feeling this brand-new environment, their hearts filled with satisfaction and joy.

The two left the room and came to the fortress's rooftop, taking in the surrounding scenery; the distant Dark Forest appeared and disappeared in the morning mist, like a crouching giant beast, exuding a hint of mystery and danger.

Li Qingxuan took a deep breath, feeling the cool morning air, and said to Li Feifei: "Although our shelter is now relatively safe, we still cannot let our guard down; we must continue to strive to improve our strength in order to better face future challenges."

Li Feifei nodded and said firmly: "Yes, I will continue to strive to improve my strength, to share more of your burden."

The two exchanged a smile, then Li Qingxuan patted Li Feifei's shoulder and said: "Let's go downstairs to see what else needs preparation."

After finishing their meal and going down from the fortress, the two began to busy themselves around, clearing some weeds and trash, making the environment around the shelter cleaner and more beautiful.

Li Qingxuan held the newly traded farming tools, walked to the Spirit Spring, and began to till the land.

Li Feifei, beside him, carefully tidied the reclaimed land, removing stones and weeds one by one, clearing obstacles for future planting.

Gazing at Li Qingxuan's earnest labor, Li Feifei's heart was full of anticipation and hope for the future.

Li Qingxuan finished tilling the land, stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to Li Feifei: "Once we obtain seeds, we can plant crops here, and then our food sources will become more abundant."

Li Feifei smiled and nodded, responding: "Yes, once we plant crops, we'll be able to eat the food we grew ourselves; just thinking about it makes one happy."

"What should we plant?" Li Qingxuan asked.

Li Feifei thought for a moment and said: "We can plant radishes, Chinese cabbage, and potatoes; these vegetables can provide the nutrients our bodies need and improve our taste; otherwise, always eating bread will eventually make us sick of it."

Li Qingxuan nodded in agreement, then began to swing the farming tools, turning the soil.

The two worked beside the Spirit Spring; time flowed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was already high in the sky.

They stopped their work, sat under the tree shade to rest, drank cool water, and chatted about future plans and dreams.

"Once our shelter is built more perfectly, we can invite more survivors to come here, to live together and fight against those weird creatures." Li Qingxuan said wistfully.

Upon hearing that, Li Feifei's eyes flashed with longing, and she said: "Yes, I also look forward to that day's arrival; we can build a big family, share happiness together, and face difficulties together."

The two exchanged a smile, their eyes flashing with anticipation for the future, then rose and continued to immerse themselves in work; they deeply understood that only relentless effort could turn dreams into reality.

The two worked hard all afternoon, until the land around the Spirit Spring was completely renewed.

They looked at this tidy, beautiful shelter and the land behind it, their hearts surging with a full sense of achievement and satisfaction.

As the sun slowly set westward, the two's figures seemed to gradually merge into this land, becoming part of this small shelter.

(PS: Free of charge, send a little love-powered electricity; this way the author will be more motivated, please.)