Chapter 24: A Fortunate Fate with the Dead—Could It Be the Protagonist?

“Then, do you want a medical blind box?” Qiao Jia glanced at their claws; it really didn’t seem like they needed one. Besides, the weapons that came out of the weapon blind boxes were mostly technological, not suited to them either. After a moment of thought, Qiao Jia took out the medical blind boxes again, leaving the explanation to the system. They might actually need these, considering the wounds riddling their bodies—holes here and there, truly pitiful to look at. Even though they were animated corpses, they could still be injured, and because their bodies were already dead, it was even harder for their wounds to heal. Qiao Jia knew this all too well.

“Healing…?” The animated corpses looked at Qiao Jia in confusion and nodded. Qiao Jia accepted their power cores, counting them carefully—it amounted to the value of one hundred and eighty-seven first-tier cores. That meant six medical blind boxes, with the remainder serving as her tip. After all, carrying these boxes into the city was no easy task. Once she handed the boxes to the animated corpses, Qiao Jia waved at them and continued deeper into Giantwood City.

“It’s dangerous inside,” the animated corpses quickly blocked her way, warning her. It really was dangerous in there—they had never ventured in themselves. If this little kin went in, she’d die for sure. Though, of course, they were already corpses.

“It’s all right. I won’t die.” Qiao Jia shook her head and explained. The animated corpses exchanged glances; hearing her say this, they could only helplessly step aside. They were good corpses, not bad ones.

“If there’s danger… blow.” One of the animated corpses handed her a bone whistle and gave a reminder. These corpses weren’t strong; among the monsters of Giantwood City, they were at the bottom. That was why they treated Qiao Jia so kindly. The weak huddled together for warmth. Compared to the hordes of zombies, the animated corpses were fewer in number. That was why, seeing Qiao Jia—a corpse without the stench of zombies and not nearly as stupid—they instinctively drew close; she must be one of their own.

“I’ll be careful,” Qiao Jia said, accepting the bone whistle with a solemn nod. “Remember to open the blind boxes. If you need more next time, just find me.” She had the system leave a business card with the animated corpses—tearing it would notify her.

After bidding them farewell, Qiao Jia pressed on. The animated corpses had given her and the system a useful reminder: blind boxes didn’t have to be sold only to humans; non-human creatures were also potential customers. Compared to weak humans, non-humans were evidently wealthier. However, humans were relatively safer than non-humans. The animated corpses were friendly only because Qiao Jia was one of them; other monsters wouldn’t be nearly as kind.

With a huge bundle on her back, Qiao Jia walked the roads of Giantwood City, surrounded by all sorts of towering buildings. She picked up a megaphone she’d salvaged from a sweet potato stall along the way and recorded a new message.

“Blind boxes—blind boxes for sale—amazing blind boxes for sale! For just ten power cores, you can buy a magical blind box capable of producing all kinds of weapons. With this blind box, you might uncover a mysterious rare item, allowing you to kill, to slay zombies, to defeat monsters you never could before!”

Qiao Jia’s emotionless voice echoed over and over from the megaphone. Many zombies on the street eyed her curiously, and soon, a whole horde trailed behind her.

“Host, with so many zombies, even if someone wants to buy something, they’ll be scared away!” The system was exasperated, watching the sea of zombies nearly forming a tide behind her.

Qiao Jia stopped and glanced back—a vast, dark crowd of zombies. So many… The system’s concern was justified; with this many zombies, all potential customers would indeed be frightened off.

“Are you buying blind boxes?” Qiao Jia asked. “If not, don’t follow me—you’re affecting my business.” She fixed her gaze on the leading zombie, asking calmly.

“Blind… box?” The zombie at the front, wearing a bright red flower, tilted her head in confusion. She was one of the rare zombies capable of communication—a tier two zombie.

“Yes. A blind box that can produce all kinds of weapons, and there are also ones with medical supplies or food,” Qiao Jia explained again, showing her a power core. “You need power cores to purchase.”

The red-flowered zombie stared at the core in Qiao Jia’s hand for a long while, then abruptly reached into the head of another zombie and pulled out its power core!

“Pretty… for you…” she said.

“Thank you, you’re pretty too,” Qiao Jia replied calmly, accepting the core. After all, monsters thought differently from humans.

Seeing Qiao Jia accept the core, the tier two zombie grinned monstrously, then continued to dig out power cores from other zombies, tossing them to Qiao Jia.

“You’re pretty… I’m pretty…”

The red-flowered zombie regarded Qiao Jia as one of her own. Compared to the filthy, broken, dumb zombies around her, she felt Qiao Jia was more like her. This trip into the city had yielded few blind box sales, but Qiao Jia had acquired a mountain of power cores—far more profitable than selling boxes.

“System, let’s drive all the humans out and only serve monsters from now on,” Qiao Jia said solemnly.

“Host, are you serious?”

“Of course not,” Qiao Jia replied earnestly. Though both zombies and animated corpses saw her as one of their own, these monsters were ultimately the foes of humanity. Her little town was full of main and supporting characters; driving them out would be trading a watermelon for a sesame seed.

“You’d believe anything,” Qiao Jia scoffed at the system, mocking its intelligence before turning away.

The red-flowered zombie was still busy digging up power cores. Suddenly, an unusual sound came from a nearby street. The red-flowered zombie froze, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

“Someone’s coming, Host,” the system warned. “And I think they have an aura!”

“Go play,” Qiao Jia said, stuffing a blind box into the red-flowered zombie’s hand, not forgetting to take the power cores she’d collected. With over a hundred, she could stock up on plenty of goods.

“Go…?” The red-flowered zombie didn’t understand—why leave, when there was food to kill and eat?

“Be good, listen,” Qiao Jia patted her head. With the red-flowered zombie here, there’d be no way to sell blind boxes—she might even be mistaken for a zombie and attacked. If there really was someone with an aura on the way, whether protagonist or not, it would be dangerous.

The red-flowered zombie looked aggrieved but obediently left, leaving behind a mass of ordinary zombies.

“Host, let me check again to see if you have an aura yourself,” the system said, puzzled by how both animated corpses and zombies were so obedient to her. Could it be that the host was a protagonist before she died?