"Go on, what kind of trouble are you trying to stir up by looking for this ti?" Luo Aiman shifted his gaze from the plate, his face filled with caution. "I had ntioned earlier, during the event I can only sell so fishing-related gear. The previous material exchange operation is impossible to replicate before the event ends."
Luo Aiman felt it was necessary to state this in advance, lest Li Zheng start playing tricks on him later.
"You've really overthought it..." Li Zheng was speechless, placing the plate he held on the table beside Luo Aiman, extending an invitation kindly, "Co, have a taste, craftsmanship from our race."
"Your race?"
Though Luo Aiman was drooling over the plate of seafood, he maintained the necessary vigilance, "Don't think I didn't see, this was cooked by that little Enchanting Demon."
"Besides, would you really invite to taste delicious food with such good intentions?"
Luo Aiman feigned indifference, as if he really had no interest in the dish.
Unfortunately, his constant swallowing of saliva betrayed him.
Li Zheng found it amusing but did not point out Luo Aiman's pretended aloofness, explaining his reason for coming, "This ti, I've got so doubts and I need your help to clarify them."
"What doubts?" Luo Aiman turned his head to stare at Li Zheng.
Li Zheng glanced around but said nothing.
Luo Aiman understood, waving his tentacles slightly, "Alright, speak freely, those strears outside can't lock onto you anymore."
Li Zheng sensed that with Luo Aiman's casual move, an invisible restriction erged around him. Not only could the outside strears not lock onto them, but even the sounds of this Endless Ocean venue were isolated in both directions.
"I want to know the real purpose the Terminal has for organizing this fishing tournant!"
"The real purpose?" Luo Aiman looked at Li Zheng with amusent, "Don't you already know? It's to train the coordination between the legions."
"That's it?"
"That's it!"
"But... why?" Li Zheng was puzzled, "At first, the Terminal let us act as individuals, why suddenly bring in a legion?"
"Because so crises can't be solved by personal heroism."
Luo Aiman did not elaborate, only saying, "So matters are not within the reach of your current ability; when you go to the Outer City, explore for yourself."
"I know you have many doubts in your heart, but unfortunately, I can't tell you everything, because you'll surely find a chance to spread the news, and knowing so secrets too early might not be good for your race."
"What's more, the rules within the Matrix also dictate that certain words can't be spoken. Don't expect that when you return from the Outer City, you can spread certain information—it won't work."
Luo Aiman recalled sothing, his expression turning gloomy, and he lanted, "Work hard to beco stronger, only by constantly improving your strength will you possibly control your destiny in the future, and even control the fate of your race."
"Don't repeat our mistakes, being a failure is not a pleasant experience."
He waved his tentacles, "Go now, what I could tell you, I already have; you won't learn more from ."
Seeing Luo Aiman's stance, Li Zheng knew he couldn't obtain more intelligence from him, but he was still unwilling and asked, "Before, I often heard you guys ntion this 'crisis,' what exactly is the 'crisis'? Can't you say a bit more?"
"I can't!"
Luo Aiman shook his head firmly, "I can only tell you, if you cannot overco the imminent crisis, then those outside, even your planet, will fall into a place of eternal damnation!"
"I understand."
Upon hearing this, Li Zheng nodded, crouched down, and drew a pattern on the sand asking, "Is this what you an by crisis?"
Luo Aiman glanced over, his expression drastically changing. He jumped off the beach chair and frantically erased the pattern, demanding, "How did you know this?"
He was sure no veteran player in the Matrix was able to leave any related information by any ans.
How could Li Zheng, a new player of this session, know the truth in advance?
"No way!"
Luo Aiman suddenly realized, "You know this, and it hasn't affected you?"
Not only was it not affected, but he could even draw the pattern under the Terminal's supervision?
Such a thing would be impossible before.
Luo Aiman tried to speak the truth, but found that no matter how hard he tried, it was in vain. The Terminal's restriction still silenced him on information related to the pattern.
Not even a single word!
He frantically waved his tentacles, grabbing Li Zheng by the collar, his face twisted as he asked, "Where did you learn about this pattern? Speak!"
As a rchant authorized by the Terminal, they had another task, which was to erase all information regarding the patterns in the Matrix.
If anyone learned in advance, they were obliged to clear it, and if a player knew, the player would enter the obliteration list and must be obliterated before the information could spread out.
Once, a race's player learned everything before entering the Outer City, and in the end, they were decimated, even having their speech-related ability stripped by the Terminal, barely surviving hidden inside a chanical body.
Yet, even so, the influence couldn't be completely erased.
Li Zheng didn't expect that his casual drawing would provoke such an intense reaction from Luo Aiman. He solemnly said, "This is what I saw with my own eyes before the Terminal absorbed into the Matrix."
"Impossible!"
Luo Aiman shook his head decisively, "It's possible for anyone else to see this thing, but... ugh!~" His words were interrupted as he suffered a heavy blow, spitting out golden-red blood from his mouth.
Li Zheng wiped away Luo Aiman's blood from his face calmly, "It seems I did learn so things I shouldn't have before entering the Outer City."
"Shut up!"
Luo Aiman's face was ugly, his breath weak.
In his urgent words just now, so secrets were nearly revealed, even though they weren't fully exposed, the Terminal still punished him.
If he let Li Zheng continue, Luo Aiman might die here today.
After a mont, the anticipated command didn't co, so Luo Aiman breathed a sigh of relief, solemnly saying, "Rember! You must never tell anyone about what this pattern represents! Otherwise, your race will undergo a cleansing!"
Luo Aiman was not foolish, and in that brief mont, he understood why Li Zheng and the one who revealed the pattern to him hadn't been affected.
Because simply knowing a pattern has no issue per se.
However, if one understood the essence behind the pattern while knowing it, that would draw the Terminal's attention and warrant a mission to obliterate it.
Li Zheng brushed off the tentacle holding his collar and asked, "Under such circumstances, do I still lack the right to know the truth?"
"It's not about having the right, it's about lacking the strength," Luo Aiman lay back on the beach chair, his state appearing quite weak, "You might think by reaching the King Tier, your strength is already extraordinary."
"No denying, in the Outer City, many non-player entities may not be as strong as you are now."
"But you have to understand, compared to the Outer City, the Matrix is rely at a beginner's level."
"Whether you're at Black Iron Level or Super Divine Level, in the eyes of veteran players, you are nothing more than an ant."
"Because from Black Iron to Super God, there seems to be over a dozen Tiers but in the Outer City all are categorized as 'Basic Level.'"
"Rember, until your strength reaches the Plane Level, never try to understand what lies behind that pattern."
At hearing this, Li Zheng's expression moved slightly, "So as long as I don't know what it essentially is, I won't be affected?"
"Exactly, which is why you must control your curiosity and not inquire about its essence!" Luo Aiman warned sternly, "It's for your own good."
"I have a question."
Li Zheng thought for a while, and asked, "As long as I don't understand its essence, even if I confront it directly, will nothing happen?"
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