Chapter 2403: The Merchant
The man with the gem earrings carefully studied Xu Huo's expression, his face somewhat sour as he asked, "Are you joking?"
"What do you think?" Xu Huo countered.
This time, the gem earring man lost his previous composure, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "The spatial state inside the castle probably can't be maintained for long. Even if it could, aren't there other players? As long as they move around inside the castle, there's a certain chance they'll affect the space here, and maybe the door will reappear."
In fact, this spatial room had been constantly shifting, sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, which also made them worry, afraid that the space would suddenly contract and squeeze their activity area.
"There's no better way for now." Xu Huo simply sat down on the floor, supporting himself with one hand on the fluctuating spatial body while observing its structure with the other.
The way the spatial power fluctuated seemed chaotic, but it actually had its own order, which was why the spatial body could exist within a certain range.
The defense barrier on his body flickered, floating with colorful halos, as if echoing the spatial body in the room. And because he kept touching the spatial body in the room, the entire room remained in a constant state of instability.
The Painting Woman, bored, played games on the side, but her skills weren't good, and she kept getting killed, the sound repeating endlessly, which gradually irritated the gem earring man who had been waiting idly. "Can you stop playing?"
The Painting Woman glanced up, then turned the volume up.
The gem earring man, quite speechless, turned his gaze to Xu Huo, but the latter wasn't doing anything productive either, constantly probing the spatial body, even going so far as to shove both hands into the ground.
"Can you stop playing around too?"
Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention.
In this situation, he couldn't actively make enemies either, so after sitting idly for a while longer, he stood up and tried using a spatial device to send out his location signal.
In a space filled with spatial bodies, even if they were sealed within a certain range and didn't affect the use of spatial devices, it didn't mean the devices would definitely work, let alone successfully send out a location signal.
However, this was within expectations. The gem earring man didn't give up but instead took out all the potentially useful devices he carried and hung them on his body, hoping for luck.
The devices he carried were all quite ornate in appearance, almost every one embedded with valuable gems. Under normal circumstances, wearing such devices on clothing would look cluttered, but the gem earring man's outfit was specially made. Hanging these devices didn't look cumbersome; instead, it was pleasing to the eye, especially after he pinned a brooch, the entire coat shimmered with a different luster.
Clearly, this coat was also an item.
After searching fruitlessly for a long time, the gem earring man took out some nutrient supplements and shared them with Xu Huo and the Painting Woman.
There were rumors in the game that long-term consumption of nutrient supplements could have adverse effects on a player's body. As for the specific effects, they were nothing more than degeneration or delayed evolution. But because the pitfalls of evolution agents were too great, players worried about degeneration symptoms and thus avoided taking nutrient supplements as much as possible, preferring to carry a few packs of compressed biscuits instead.
The gem earring man smiled and said, "This isn't ordinary nutrient supplement. It was developed by my family. It only supplements the energy the body needs, with no side effects."
"I'll taste it." The Painting Woman had no such concerns. She took it and poured it into her mouth. After drinking, her eyes lit up, and she reached for another one.
The gem earring man showed off the flavors of these nutrient supplements. "Sweet nutrient supplements have the widest appeal, and my family's supplements add even more flavor elements on top of that. Both adults and children love them."
"Your family is in the nutrient supplement business?" Xu Huo also took one but didn't drink it. "Rather than nutrient supplements, they seem more like concentrated agents."
"Better than concentrated agents." The gem earring man said, "Concentrated agents are similar to compressed biscuits, just turning food into liquid. Nutrient supplements can quickly restore a player's stamina. In this regard, my supplements are the same as those sold on the game platform, but there's nothing else mixed in, so there are no side effects."
"In fact, the juice extracted from many naturally evolved plants is already sufficient for players in emergencies. There's no need to add extra effects to nutrient supplements."
"That's why my family's supplements have always been popular."
Xu Huo handed the nutrient supplement in his hand to the Painting Woman as well. "How did you think of coming to a place like the Fish Feast to broaden your horizons?"
"Anyone who knows a bit about the inside story should understand that this isn't a good place."
"Whether it's good or not depends on multiple perspectives." The gem earring man said, "After knives, guns, and cannons were invented, some people used them as tools to change their lives, while others used them as weapons to kill. Tools aren't inherently good or bad; it's people who are good or bad."
"The Fish Feast isn't necessarily a good place, but from another perspective, it traps some players who enjoy causing trouble. Rather than letting them go out and wreak havoc in the districts, having them fight here at least avoids harming ordinary people."
"Players have abundant energy, and forcibly controlling them can easily lead to problems. It's better to let them vent."
"Is this the management mindset of player families toward their members?" Xu Huo said flatly. "Are you planning to build a Fish Feast Building too?"
The gem earring man smiled. "Something on this scale definitely isn't feasible, but a scaled-down version can still be done. It also lightens the burden on the district government."
"Although I'm a player, my main identity is a merchant. Like many people, I also hope for peace in the game world. If it's peaceful, everyone's life will be better."
"High rewards often attract some desperate people."
The young man's smiling face looked somewhat deep in the shadows. "Accommodating and eliminating some unstable factors is good for everyone."
He paused, then returned to his previous demeanor, chuckling. "I know many players have prejudices against player families like ours, thinking we don't take ordinary players seriously. But as you've seen, the people traveling with us all respect Uncle Ma very much. Before he became a player, he was my family's butler. Later, he happened to become a player, and my family spent a lot of effort and time to assist him, helping him achieve what he has today. It's not just an ordinary employment relationship."
"If he can't find me or the other companions after three days of being out of contact, he will leave on his own."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "You dare to say something like that."
The premise for the two of them to coexist peacefully was that the old man surnamed Ma might come to rescue them. Without that hope, killing him would both lighten the burden and bring a windfall—this was a backup plan for the invited players.
The gem earring man wasn't panicked. Instead, he said, "I'm good at reading people, but I believe Uncle Ma won't leave easily. Even if he can't find us alive, he'll find our bodies before leaving."
"It's a two-way choice."
"I understand," Xu Huo said. "You want to hire me."
The gem earring man waved his hand. "Super Evolvers like you aren't easily hired, and besides, your future lies in the game."
"But if you're interested, you can also learn about how player families cultivate Super Evolvers. As long as you have the ability, family members like me will make way. Just like I do with Uncle Ma."
Xu Huo had already seen this. The Werner family was the best example. The Super Player Huahan Werner wasn't even a member of this family.