He stumbled, either from sudden exhaustion or some other reason, unable to maintain his footing, and his entire body lurched forward.
He slammed onto the bed with a creak, the frame groaning under the sudden weight. The pained cry shattered the silence of the room.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
As his elder sister, Yuan Qingqing was the first to look over with nervous concern.
She rushed forward without hesitation, intending to help her younger brother up, her vigilance focused on the bed.
Yuan Yuan rubbed his ankle, which ached, his brows furrowed tightly. He reached out, refusing his sister's help.
He forced down the pain in his ankle and said,
"It's fine, sis, don't worry about me. It doesn't hurt."
"I didn't just suddenly fall. It felt like something pushed me, or tripped me. The sensation was really… strange."
Hearing this, Duan Chen immediately activated his True Sight.
Along the way, he had benefited greatly from this ability. However, as his gaze scanned the area, he saw nothing amiss.
Duan Chen hesitated, then asked Yuan Yuan,
"Are you sure you didn't just fall on your own?"
"Yes, absolutely sure."
Yuan Yuan nodded vigorously.
His expression was firm.
"Brother Duan, I'm not someone who would falter at a time like this."
Duan Chen understood him clearly.
Duan Chen pondered, rubbing his temples.
"If that's the case, then this matter is quite interesting."
"I recall you mentioning that this peculiar object itself has a spirit, correct?"
He directed this question to Yuan Qingqing.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Qingqing nodded vaguely.
Yuan Qingqing responded subconsciously,
"It does. But we haven't been able to see it so far. I was beginning to doubt the authenticity of the information I received."
"No, there's no need to doubt at all."
A smile of knowing insight flickered across Duan Chen's lips.
"It's precisely because none of us have seen it that we haven't been able to see it."
Duan Chen's words left everyone utterly bewildered. He, on the other hand, shifted his gaze to the spot where Yuan Yuan had fallen.
"Am I correct, master of the Rubik's Cube Cabin?"
Hearing this, the others immediately entered a state of alert.
And just before these words were spoken, a dwarf whose skin was a grayish-green, like plastic, materialized at the spot where Yuan Yuan had fallen.
It was a normal dwarf, not one from Western fantasy mythology.
The dwarf scrutinized Duan Chen with a somewhat discerning gaze.
"How did you discover my presence?"
"It's very simple."
Duan Chen replied to the dwarf.
"Ever since I learned that there was a spirit here, I was suspicious. Why was no one visible? Then, you impatiently acted, trying to push him onto that bed, which made me even more suspicious. The spirit must be around us."
"You are the intelligent peculiar entity within the Rubik's Cube Cabin, aren't you?"
Duan Chen's question was direct and to the point.
Upon hearing this, the dwarf from the Rubik's Cube Cabin nodded rather cheerfully and then, as if no one else was there, sat down on the small bed.
It was then that everyone realized that what was a small bed for them was quite large for him.
Everyone was extremely vigilant, watching to see what the dwarf's intentions were.
However, the first words the dwarf spoke surprised them all.
"Welcome to the Rubik's Cube Cabin, and welcome to finding me. I have only one purpose: bartering."
Bartering.
These four words registered in everyone's ears.
Duan Chen, as the leader, stepped forward to inquire.
"Are there any rules to this bartering you speak of?"
The dwarf revealed a smug smile.
"Of course there are rules. If there were no rules, how could it be called bartering?"
Duan Chen braced himself for outrageous demands, but what the dwarf said next still couldn't help but surprise them.
"See the furniture here? I like furniture, all sorts of furniture, or small items used to decorate a room."
The dwarf gestured proudly to everything in the room. Although it looked like a cheap rental and lacked taste, everyone suppressed their true feelings and nodded in praise.
"Yes, yes, it's truly tasteful."
"I've never seen a personal living space decorated like this before."
"Seeing this makes me recall the home I always dreamed of."
After all, one can never have too much praise.
The dwarf, flattered by the compliments, became somewhat buoyant.
However, after his moment of elation, he regained his composure and looked at the others with a vigilant and serious expression.
"While your praise makes me feel good, flattery won't work."
"I can give you many things."
After saying this, he jumped off the bed and rummaged around beneath it. Despite the seemingly small space, he pulled out a great many items.
Colorful lamps.
Ceramic basins that looked like they were from the 1990s.
Useless handkerchiefs.
Women's hairpins.
Broken glass bottles.
A coat that looked uncomfortable but was likely not made of genuine leather.
Fox sculptures.
A chaotic pile of things was pushed directly in front of them.
The dwarf patted the imaginary dust from his thighs, then stood up, supporting his waist. He pointed to the pile of items before them.
"Don't you people like these miscellaneous items?"
His tone was quite practiced.
"As long as you can give me an equivalent weight of furniture that satisfies me, you can pick whatever you want from here and take it."
"Furniture?"
Jun Ci was somewhat unable to comprehend.
He also couldn't understand why these decorations and furniture were present on the floor.
He opened his mouth to ask but was blocked by Duan Chen.
Duan Chen's gaze was deep as he looked at the items on the ground. The light of his True Sight flickered in his eyes. He then looked up at the dwarf with a complex expression.
"Can I inspect the goods first?"
The dwarf was unexpectedly accommodating.
He even greeted them enthusiastically, smiling.
"Yes, of course, you can inspect them however you wish. Since I won't let you leave, none of you can depart. Don't be thinking of any tricks or ill intentions."