Universal Shelter: I have a gold entry at each level! - Chapter 11

Chapter 011: A Horse Won’t Grow Fat Without Night Grazing

“Tap, tap…”

Mu Liang ran his fingers along the bottom of the wooden box.

It sounded hollow.

Using his combat knife, he pried open the false bottom and found a cloth bag hidden inside.

Opening it, he discovered—seeds.

“Vegetable seeds? No wonder they were hidden.”

Delighted, Mu Liang tied the bag shut and stuffed it into his backpack.

In this wasteland of an apocalyptic world, seeds represented one of the few hopes for rebuilding civilization.

Continuing his search, Mu Liang opened the wardrobe beside the bed—and found another surprise.

Inside were five neatly rolled-up bolts of fabric, each in a different color.

“This is a lot of stuff… looks like I need a helper.”

Mu Liang pulled out the five rolls of fabric, rubbing his chin as he thought about how to transport everything.

There were a lot of useful supplies in the camp leader’s room, and he wanted to take as much as possible.

After all, he had come to this world with nothing.

In this kind of wasteland, even if you had money, there were no shops to buy from.

“Xiao Cai, sneak in here.”

Mu Liang mentally summoned the Three-Colored Lizard, which was currently keeping watch over Mino.

As for the Rock Armor Turtle… it was too big. It would probably knock down a wall just trying to get inside.

While waiting for the Three-Colored Lizard, Mu Liang packed up everything he planned to take—five rolls of fabric and a bundle of swords and knives.

Digging through the wardrobe again, he found mostly used clothing and blankets.

He had no interest in second-hand items.

“Hmm? A fresh wolf pelt?”

Opening the last section of the wardrobe, Mu Liang found a whole, unused wolf hide.

He lifted it out and examined it—the edges were untrimmed, meaning it hadn’t been processed yet.

“I was wondering why he had three wolf heads but no wolf hide.”

Mu Liang rolled up the pelt and set it aside. “Well, at least I don’t have to worry about bedding now.”

With everything packed, he looked up at the ceiling.

The Three-Colored Lizard arrived quickly—unlike Mu Liang, who had to climb walls and dodge guards, the lizard simply crawled across the ceiling.

“Come down and help carry some stuff.”

Mu Liang waved at the lizard.

“Hisss~~”

The lizard tilted its head before crawling down the wall.

Mu Liang frowned slightly. “Your body’s too small—you can’t carry much.”

The five one-meter-long fabric rolls were about the same size as the lizard itself.

“Looks like it’s time to evolve you to Level 3.”

Mu Liang placed his hand on the lizard and mentally commanded the system.

“Evolve the Three-Colored Lizard to Level 3.”

“Ding! Evolving Level 2 Three-Colored Lizard to Level 3. Consuming 100 Evolution Points.”

“Ding! Evolution successful.”

“Ding! Three-Colored Lizard’s talent has evolved into Mimetic Invisibility.”

“Ding! Synchronizing Beast Tamer’s ability Mimetic Invisibility to Level 3.”

As the familiar warmth spread through his body, Mu Liang felt another surge of power.

“Invisibility? Does that mean I can stay hidden even while moving?”

Mu Liang focused on his new ability and immediately activated Mimetic Invisibility.

As he walked, his body blended with the surroundings.

“There’s a slight delay—about one second when transitioning colors. The faster I move, the longer the delay.”

“But if I move slowly, the transition is almost instant.”

Mu Liang quickly tested the ability, noting its pros and cons.

Still—being able to move while invisible was more than enough.

Satisfied, he turned his attention to the newly evolved Three-Colored Lizard.

The creature had doubled in size, now stretching two meters long.

Its scales were no longer striped. Instead, each area of scales had one solid color—green, red, or blue, creating a stunningly vibrant pattern.

It also had several sharp spikes growing from either side of its head, and its vertical pupils looked even colder than before.

Mu Liang patted its head with amusement. “Xiao Cai, if you grow a pair of wings, you could pass for a dragon.”

“Hisss~~”

The lizard tilted its head, clearly confused. What’s a dragon?

“Stay still. Help me carry these supplies back.”

Mu Liang tied the five fabric rolls, the wolf pelt, and the bundle of swords onto the lizard’s back.

“Hisss~~”

The lizard wriggled uncomfortably under the extra weight.

“Go on. Let Mino take the stuff off when you get there. Then come back for another load.”

Mu Liang grinned, waving as the lizard climbed out the window.

Its sharp claws left marks in the wooden walls as it vanished into the night.

“I need to hurry. If someone finds the leader’s body too soon, things could get complicated.”

Mu Liang silently left the room and resumed searching the house.

At this hour, the servant girls were all waiting in their designated spots, ready to be summoned by their masters.

A horse won’t grow fat without grazing at night.

Since Mu Liang was already stealing supplies, he might as well take some food too.

After all, it wasn’t every day he had such an opportunity.

As he moved stealthily, he suddenly noticed a suspicious figure sneaking through the house.

“Hmm? Isn’t that A’Gu?”

Mu Liang recognized the man—he had been in the hall earlier, talking with the leader.

Curious, Mu Liang trailed him to see what he was up to.

A’Gu looked around nervously, making sure no one was watching before slipping into a storage room.

Peering through a crack in the door, Mu Liang’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

“A food storage room?”

Inside, he saw A’Gu—along with a servant girl.

Stealing food? Or… something else?

Mu Liang briefly considered the latter, but quickly dismissed the idea.

“A’Gu, are you crazy? You’re taking way too much meat! If the leader finds out, he’ll kill you!”

The servant girl looked horrified as she watched A’Gu stuff choice cuts of meat into a cloth sack.

In the past, she had helped him steal small amounts before.

But now?

There was no way she could cover for him.

“The leader has lost his mind.”

A’Gu hissed angrily. “He’s planning to work with Bloodbeard to kill off anyone who doesn’t obey him!”

His voice dropped to a furious whisper. “I skipped today’s meeting at the hill, hoping it would mess up the plan. But instead, the leader decided to contact Bloodbeard even sooner!”

Yes—he had lied to the leader.

It had been a test—and the result?

The leader was more insane than he had imagined.

By skipping the meeting, A’Gu had hoped to stir doubt between the bandits and the camp.

But he had underestimated the situation—

The leader had already secured the deal personally.

The bandits wouldn’t second-guess anything.

The moment they compared notes, A’Gu’s betrayal would be obvious—and he would be a dead man.

So now, he had no choice.

He had to escape.

“The leader is working with Bloodbeard?”

The servant girl turned pale, panic setting in.

“Go pack your things!”

A’Gu shoved her toward the door.

“O-Okay!”

The servant girl nodded frantically before running off.

Mu Liang let her go—but kept his cold gaze locked on A’Gu, still stuffing his bag with dried meat.

Plans change.

It looked like it was time to adjust his strategy.