Matrix Survival: One random treasure chest per day

Chapter 584 The Land of Seven Sins
"Doesn't it seem rather unreasonable?" Shen Rui stood next to Li Zheng, who was about the same height as him even when sitting down.

“A little.” Li Zheng said with a dark face. Not far away, the residents of the outer city had already dispersed and returned to their homes, some happy and some sad.

Even though the mission was easier than expected, there were still a few casualties.

Of the 130 people who set off, only a little over 80 returned.

In Li Zheng's view, this mortality rate was already extremely high, almost half!
However, in the outer city, even a 30% or 20% survival rate, let alone half, would be something to be happy about.

It's important to understand that even if individual strength ratings are comparable, the people from the outer city are no match for the Bloodthirsty Ones. Often, the numbers and overall strength are evenly matched, and the outer city side ends up being wiped out.

So, regardless of the survival rate, even if only one person survives and returns alive, as long as the Bloodthirsty Ones' actions are stopped, it's all worthwhile.

There are too many people in the outer city, and the resources they need are terrifyingly large. Whenever the Bloodthirsty Ones take any action, it is almost always aimed at the resource points occupied by the people in the outer city. Therefore, it is very important for all the people in the outer city to protect a resource production base.

However important it may be, that doesn't stop them from being afraid to take the initiative and engage in battle because of their fear of death...

“In some ways, you are far, far weaker than I imagined.” After listening to Shen Rui’s explanation, Li Zheng shook his head with a stern face: “Once my people enter the outer city, we will show you what true courage is!”

It's hard to imagine that the people living in the outer city nowadays are so spineless. I really don't know how the first batch of players from these races passed the matrix test to enter the outer city.

Is it really as I thought, that all the courageous and fearless people are dead?

“Courage?” Shen Rui seemed to have heard a particularly funny joke and couldn’t help but chuckle: “We used to have that kind of thing, but… after you’ve experienced a war where you were willing but unable to fight, you’ll find how ridiculous the so-called ‘courage’ really is.”

"It's just a pointless death," Xiong Li said in a simple and honest voice.

"Do you know how terrifying and horrifying that feeling of helplessness is when your loved ones, your spouse, your closest friends die before your eyes, and you are unable to save anyone because you can't even protect yourself?" Shen Rui recalled something and slowly said, "It's like when you were a child, and older children took advantage of their strength and size to bully you. You knew you couldn't fight back or escape, and you humbly wanted to kneel down and beg them to let you go, but they ignored your pleas. Can you understand that kind of despair?"

The despair welling up from the depths of your heart is a despair and a sense of powerlessness that makes you lose all enthusiasm for the world and for your life.

“Unlike being bullied by your own kind, when your relatives, your lover, your best friend, and everyone you care about die in front of you, you have to suppress the negative emotions such as grief, despair, and anger in your heart and continue to face the enemy with the most ruthless mentality, otherwise you will be devoured and assimilated by the enemy and become one of them.”

Shen Rui patted Li Zheng's shoulder heavily: "You were able to enter the outer city so quickly, which means you must have something special. You must have come into contact with the ancient race, right? Have you experienced the feeling of them planting the 'Seven Sins' in you? If you have, you will understand everything I just said."

“Even if you haven’t experienced it, you can visit the wilderness areas numbered 01 to 07 if you have the chance. Those are the closest places to the outside world where you can see the starry sky,” Xiong Li added. “They are also the places with the heaviest death atmosphere.”

"Shut up!" Shen Rui suddenly shouted, "Big idiot, aren't you just sending him to his death by encouraging him to go to those areas? They're teeming with twisted monsters. Even if you and I went there, we'd just be lambs to the slaughter!"

Although he was scolding Xiong Li, Li Zheng felt that Shen Rui had said so much to him because he wanted him to visit those areas.

He just didn't know what his purpose was. "Numbers 1 to 7, right?" Li Zheng nodded: "I've remembered them. I'll go when the time is right."

"No! Put that idea away!" Shen Rui urged repeatedly, "It's too dangerous there. Although the Twisted Magic Crystals produced inside the Twisted Demon are very valuable, compared to the risks you have to face, that value is nothing."

Now Li Zheng finally understood what Shen Rui was planning.

He narrowed his eyes, seemingly attracted by the so-called 'valuable' thing, and asked casually, "That Twisted Magic Crystal... what is it?"

"Twisted Magic Crystals..." Shen Rui paused, then, as if unable to dissuade Li Zheng, earnestly explained, "It's alright for you to know. Twisted Magic Crystals are a type of crystal that condenses within the twisted monsters in those seven areas. Generally speaking, Twisted Magic Crystals carry extremely strong negative emotions. Any life form with a mental strength below the initial level will be devoured by these negative emotions and become a member of the twisted monster if it comes into contact with them. So, before your mental strength reaches the initial level, never try to go to those places!"

"Since Twisted Magic Crystals are so dangerous, why are they so valuable in the outer city?" Li Zheng knew almost nothing about this, so he took the opportunity to learn more.

"Because the purified Twisted Magic Crystal can refine spiritual power, allowing it to advance further from the initial stage," Xiong Li answered Li Zheng for Shen Rui.

In the outer city, no one has yet developed a method to allow mental strength to break through to the initial stage, but this does not mean that mental strength has stagnated.

Absorbing the energy inside the distorted magic crystal to purify one's mental power is the most mainstream method!
Normal growth of mental energy is like a bottle of air. After being purified by the Twisted Magic Crystal, the 'air' can be turned into 'liquid', and then solidified again to achieve a qualitative change.

"Although the Land of the Seven Deadly Sins is extremely dangerous and not easily visited by ordinary people, if you have the chance, I still suggest you get some purified Twisted Magic Crystals to refine your spiritual power. It will be very effective in the final test!" Shen Rui left this advice and turned to leave with Xiong Li, who still wanted to say something.

Li Zheng watched the two figures disappear into the distance, his gaze steady, lost in thought.

“That guy’s motives aren’t pure!” Zhan Zhouzhou said at this moment. “You’d better keep your distance from him, or he might betray you.”

“I have the same feeling.” Miriel came over with the last basket of buns and put them on the table. “Yesterday, Zhan Zhouzhou was sent for treatment by him, but he didn’t come back to ask you for something in return. That’s very suspicious.”

indeed.

Given the out-of-towners' tendency to seize any opportunity to gain something, it's quite a character flaw that Shen Rui didn't take advantage of such a good opportunity to send someone for treatment to make a fortune.

"You two don't think I can't tell, do you?" Li Zheng shook his head with a smile, picked up the soy milk that Miriel had prepared and placed in front of him, gently blew on it to cool it down, and then took a sip.

"The reason why Shen Rui didn't come to me to ask for benefits is because that 'old ox' has already given me enough benefits."

Or do you really think a single treatment costs 600,000 white crystals?
Six hundred thousand!
That's enough to buy two of Zhan Zhouzhou's lives!
"So that last piece of advice wasn't his real intention," Li Zheng said with a half-smile. "He just wanted to test whether our generation of players could adapt to those negative emotions. Once someone comes back alive from the Land of the Seven Deadly Sins, it can become a means for them to make a fortune!"

(End of this chapter)