Who Is Your Friend?

Cheng Shuili kept her hand on the third supply crate, tilted her head to look at the monster merchant in the shadows, and curved her lips into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. “Friends? You were just thinking about scamming me out of one hundred thousand game coins.”

The monster merchant tapped his bony knuckles against the counter, creating a rhythmic clicking sound. “Business is business, friendship is friendship~”

He grinned, revealing an exaggerated smile. “For instance, right now, as a friend, I can tell you a piece of news for free.”

He intentionally dragged out his tone, a cunning light flickering in his hollow eye sockets.

Cheng Shuili pulled her hand back from the supply crate and crossed her arms. “Let’s hear it.”

“The third crate,” the monster merchant held up a withered, bony finger, “is empty.”

Empty?

It wasn't that Cheng Shuili was being skeptical, but she had truly never heard of a supply crate being empty.

Su Rui frowned immediately upon hearing this and whispered, “He’s lying.”

The monster merchant spread his hands in an exaggerated gesture. “Suspected, are we? But...”

His voice suddenly dropped, carrying a hint of eerie delight. “If you insist on opening it, you might release something even more troublesome than that little kitten from before.”

So, it means there’s a monster inside too, right?

Cheng Shuili stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. “Then I have even more reason to open it.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, she lifted the lid of the crate.

It wasn't empty, nor were there any monsters; instead, three familiar vials of potion lay quietly inside.

Cheng Shuili didn't rush to examine the items she had pulled; instead, she turned her gaze toward the monster whose plan had fallen through.

He smiled somewhat awkwardly, seemingly wanting to shrink back behind the counter.

Yet, Cheng Shuili suddenly realized a problem.

This was a gas station, not a Trading Post or a beastman town where there were so many strict rules.

This monster merchant was indeed an NPC, but he was also a monster, wasn't he?

So what?

Just because he wore the skin of an NPC and learned to speak a few human words, did that mean she couldn't take action against him?

Cheng Shuili used today’s first Insight on this peculiar monster merchant almost without hesitation.

【Insight Successful】

【Shadow Speaker】

【Description: A mimic creature condensed from abyssal shadows. It excels at imitating various merchant forms and constructing temporary trading scenes. Initially, it only mimicked, but after discovering the utility of game coins, it began observing and selling intelligence! However, being a monster at heart, it cares little for credibility or the accuracy of its information; it only cares about how many game coins it can obtain!】

【Weakness: A skeleton frame. If you have enough strength to snap its bones... it will likely be terrified of you.】

Cheng Shuili was genuinely happy now.

She bent down to pick up the potions inside the crate, her fingers gently rubbing against them.

Just like the ones she opened last time, there was one for strength, one for stamina, and one for speed, each increasing her attributes by three points after consumption.

Cheng Shuili didn't hesitate; she unscrewed the caps and drank them all down.

She looked at the monster merchant behind the counter with a smirk, first opening her own panel to check.

【Player: Cheng Shuili

ID: AAAJCCJ8888

Username: Angry Crow Takes Flight

Vehicle: Shopping Cart (Exterior: Off-road Vehicle) (Current Battery: 1000%) (Solar panels working)

Health Value: 80 (Title bonus active, a very healthy number, suggest increasing physical activity!)

Strength: 61 (Congratulations, your attributes have finally exceeded 60!)

Stamina: 58 (Uh? Why is this one still not enough?)

Agility: 61 (61 long live!)

Total Combat Power: 71 (A top-tier warrior!)

Game Coins: 223679

Special Items: Shop Employee ID x1, Skeleton Key x1, Abyss Ring x1, The Wealthiest Person's Daily Necessities x1, Gift of the Great God of Prophecy x1, Totem of Undying x1, Guardian Totem x1, Joker's Trick Cape x1, Schrödinger's can x1, The Fang of Austin x1, Ring of the Hidden x1, Quill and Parchment x1, Wax Seal Stamp x1, Crown of Friendship x1, Rat King's Gift (Single) x1, Screaming Chicken's Redemption Gold x1, Vial of Eternal Life at Both Ends x1. (Cards omitted)

Blueprints: Basic Water Condensation Device Blueprint, Advanced Water Condensation Device Blueprint, Simple Hunting Trap Blueprint, Refined Automatic Hunting Device Blueprint, Energy-Saving Air Conditioner Blueprint, Fully Automatic Smart Washing Machine Blueprint, Simple Sunroom Blueprint (includes flowerpot blueprint), Fuel Purification Device Blueprint, Basic Vehicle Rainproof Tarp Blueprint, Emergency Oxygen Circulation Device Blueprint, Ground Anchor Fixing Device Blueprint, Acid-Resistant Polymer Rain Tarp.

Territory: Underground Storage Room (14 days remaining), Dilapidated Manor (Permanently owned)

Servants: Su Rui (Servant), Zhou Zhuxing (Human, Territory Servant), Yu Bing (Human, Territory Servant), Old Li (Beastman, Territory Servant), Egg Boss (Monster, Territory Servant), Fire Lizard (Unnamed) (Monster, Territory Servant)...

Common Supplies: Omitted.】

Except for stamina, everything had reached 60.

Cheng Shuili felt a bit helpless, but she couldn't say the Golden Rice Bowl wasn't working; it had delivered three points of stamina during this period.

However, agility had gained three points from the autonomous dungeon, and strength had always been in the lead.

Therefore, stamina had unsurprisingly ended up at the bottom again.

Cheng Shuili shook her head slightly and noticed the “Screaming Chicken's Redemption Gold” in the special items column.

Yes, she still hadn't eaten that golden egg.

Cheng Shuili sent the item to Qi Wanyi once more. This time, no accidents occurred, and Qi Wanyi replied with a direct OK.

Cheng Shuili was very pleased, but when her gaze fell upon the monster merchant behind the counter, her expression turned cold. She gently pressed the tip of the Night Hunt against the counter, the friction between the metal and the wooden surface creating a harsh, grating sound.

She leaned forward slightly, a faint, dangerous smile playing on her lips.

“Shadow Speaker, is that right?” Her voice was soft, bordering on dangerous. “A mimic creature condensed from abyssal shadows?”

The monster merchant’s skeleton frame suddenly froze, his joints making an unnatural clicking sound.

A flash of panic flickered in his hollow eye sockets, but he quickly squeezed out an exaggerated smile. “Oh my, you’ve discovered me~”

Cheng Shuili suddenly thrust the tip of her blade forward, piercing straight through the wooden counter, stopping just a fraction of an inch from the monster merchant’s ribs.

“I have a curious question,” she said in a measured tone. “If I dismantle this skeleton of yours, will you... die, just like other monsters?”

The monster merchant’s laughter became dry and strained. “Don’t be so violent, friend...”

“Who is your friend?” Cheng Shuili yanked her blade out, leaving a crack in the counter.

She glanced at Su Rui, who immediately understood and silently moved behind the counter.

“Now,” Cheng Shuili tapped the counter with the back of her blade. “Tell me everything you know about the Abyss Stone. Otherwise...” she intentionally drew out her words, “the two of us will have to help you reorganize this skeleton of yours.”

Su Rui appeared from the shadows right on cue, her pale fingers resting lightly on the monster merchant’s shoulder blade.

The threat was self-evident.