Matrix Survival: One random treasure chest per day

Chapter 206 A Gift from "Ancient Technology"
The metal door slowly opened in front of him, revealing a constantly flowing curtain of light behind it.

Stepping inside, and waiting for the light curtain to dissipate, a brightly decorated hall appeared before Li Zheng.

On the left, there are several matching sofas, and in the middle is a solid wood coffee table.

On the right, rows of transparent "glass cases" are arranged in an orderly manner, displaying a variety of peculiar props.

However, neither the terminal nor the old man received any notifications at this point.

Li Zheng was not surprised; he was used to Lao Pu going offline.

Sometimes he even forgets he has this ability, which makes him seem much more reliable than when he was just "equipment".

He also understood why the terminal did not provide any prompts for the operation.

Because when I encountered Romain Rolland before, the terminal was the same.

Let's get a closer look inside the display case.

Aside from the weapons and props with obvious characteristics, Li Zheng could identify very few props whose functions he could not.

These props have very different styles. Some are obviously futuristic, such as metal rings, metal arms, flamethrowers, and metal rods with a small ball on top.

Some others have a much stranger style.

For example, ceramic teapots; wooden bowls and chopsticks; cameras; video cameras; rackets, etc.

Or perhaps, it could simply be a sharp, long tooth with bloody pulp; a small tuft of pure purple, metallic hair; a scale the size of a washbasin; or a pair of pink-eyed pupils.

Li Zheng spotted something familiar among them: a technology cup.

It's hard to imagine that among a bunch of props that look high-end, there are actually some things with rather vulgar uses mixed in.

"Can't they put labels on the display cases?" Li Zheng muttered to himself. Since they're already on display, why not just show the names and functions of these props as well?

"That's because these things don't need any introduction."

A voice sounded beside me, with a strange tone, not in any language on Earth.

Li Zheng turned his head and saw a burly woman with light purple skin, strange patterns drawn on her face with black lines, and three eyes.

The reason Li Zheng recognized her as a woman was that he saw her chest was bulging, and her gray-white leather armor was almost bursting out of her clothes.

Li Zheng was startled because he hadn't sensed the other person's arrival before the person spoke.

This is a master!

A thought flashed through his mind, and Li Zheng felt a chill run down his spine as he repeatedly apologized.

The woman in purple waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's alright. This is your first time here, so it's understandable that you don't know my master's name."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zishu, and I am Master's ninth disciple."

"Nice to meet you, Li Zheng." Li Zheng introduced himself in return.

He looked around but didn't find the other entity Old Pu had mentioned earlier; there was only a closed door behind the purple tree.

Next to the door was a reception desk-like facility. Zi Shu must have been sitting at the reception desk before, but Li Zhengcai didn't notice her.

"My master has recently come up with some ideas and has gone into seclusion. He will not be receiving visitors for some time."

"Mr. Li, let's go over there and talk in detail." Zi Shu pointed to the sofa, indicating that Li Zheng should go with her.

"Please wait a moment, let me make some tea for Mr. Li first."

After taking a seat, Zishu took out a ceramic teapot of the same style as the one in the display case, poured in some water and a small pinch of pale yellow tea leaves, and then gently shook it in her hand.

While shaking the teapot, Zishu explained, "It's a self-heating teapot, a little gadget that my master made on a whim. It can heat up automatically."

Add water and tea leaves, and you can brew a pot of tea in thirty seconds.

Thirty seconds later, the teacup was taken out, the teapot was tilted, and pale blue tea liquid flowed out. Instantly, the room was filled with a delicate fragrance.

Zi Shu pushed the teacup in front of Li Zheng and smiled, "Please."

"Thank you." Li Zheng picked up the teacup, examined it carefully, and cautiously refrained from drinking it immediately.

Seemingly sensing Li Zheng's doubts, Zi Shu explained, "The tea I used just now came from the Bamboo Tapir tribe. They are experts in cultivating green bamboo. After the green bamboo leaves are dried and steamed, they have the effect of refreshing the mind and enhancing mental strength."

She paused for a moment, then added, "My master doesn't have many of these bamboo leaves left. If Mr. Li hadn't been the first player to come here this year, he wouldn't have had the chance to enjoy them."

Although Li Zheng didn't know how precious the tea made from the leaves of the so-called green bamboo was, the other party's hints were so obvious that if he didn't drink it, he would offend them.

This can be understood as a perk prepared for the first player to arrive here.

Li Zheng smiled awkwardly and drank the tea in one gulp.

The tea liquor enters the mouth, and its refreshing aroma immediately fills the mouth.

The gentle tea rolls in your mouth, like a tender massage to the muscles in your mouth.

"Delicious!" Li Zheng praised, putting down his teacup.

Zi Shu looked at him, smiling without saying a word.

Soon, the tea was gradually absorbed by his body, and Li Zheng's mind became clear.

It felt as if I hadn't slept for two days and two nights, and suddenly my body and mind were relaxed. I felt light and airy, as if I was about to fly.

After a moment of reflection, Li Zheng realized he had gotten a great deal. Even if he didn't get any other benefits this time, just this cup of tea alone made him feel that it was worth the price of admission.

At this moment, Li Zheng had an indescribable feeling. It seemed that something in his mind had been touched and, under the influence of the tea, had become much more solid.

Most importantly, he then clearly realized that a violent and malevolent aura had been swirling within his heart.

Although this effect is diminishing as the efficacy of bamboo leaf tea decreases.

However, Li Zheng had already noticed this and naturally became wary.

Zi Shu smiled mysteriously: "Now, Mr. Li, you can ask whatever you want."

Li Zheng looked at the other person, a thought suddenly struck him, and asked, "Do you know the origin of this strange thing?"

Unbeknownst to him, such a terrifying thing had invaded his heart. While feeling lingering fear, Li Zheng was also eager to figure out what had happened.

Zi Shu fiddled with the self-heating teapot, poured out the remaining tea, and slowly cleaned it, saying, "Mr. Li must have come into contact with those bugs of ancient technology, right?"

Seeing that the other party was wasting such good stuff, Li Zheng felt a little sorry for them, but he honestly replied, "Yes, I came into contact with some mechanical mantises and mechanical giants a few days ago."

The correspondence between ancient technology and ancient relics led Li Zheng to speculate that they were likely the same thing.

Zi Shu didn't even look up: "That explains it."

After cleaning the teapot, Zishu put it away.

"You killed the Mechanical Titan with your own hands in the end, right? Was there a mind interference device at the time?"

Li Zheng: "Yes, there are."

Zi Shu nodded: "Then it all makes sense. This is a common trick used by those bugs of ancient technology."

Li Zheng was getting increasingly anxious. Why was this woman so hesitant? Couldn't she just get straight to the point and tell him how to deal with this strange thing?

Zi Shu continued, "But what surprised me the most was that Mr. Li didn't seem to be greatly affected; he didn't seem to have any blood in him at all."

Li Zhengzheng was about to explain that he had killed many people, but they were all bloodthirsty individuals.

Then Zi Shu said something even more terrifying:
"Or rather, it's surprising that you can still remain rational."

(End of this chapter)