CHAPTER 523: CHAPTER 439 WHIP MASTERY (4000 WORDS)

The main reason Li Zheng pulled everyone into the group was to split the rewards from this dungeon run.

Even though it wasn’t much, there was still something. If things weren’t made clear, it could lead to misunderstandings, which would be awkward.

"This dungeon was quite special, as you all could see from the system’s reward notifications. From start to finish, apart from that pet, there was only an Extraordinary Level Fire-Extinguishing Pearl," Li Zheng said in the group. "Chao Ran and Lu Li are aware of our dungeon running rules. The one who uses an exploration chance to open the door has the right to choose an item first."

Wang Chaoran chimed in, "Yes, it’s fair."

"Considering that this dungeon only yielded one item, it might seem unfair to the other three since you did participate, and getting nothing would feel like a waste of time."

"So my suggestion is this: since I contributed the most this time, the pet belongs to me, and I won’t be taking anything else for distribution."

"The Fire-Extinguishing Pearl will go to Lu Li, but Lu Li must distribute some Diamond Level items to the other three, which will cover the entry fee for those who helped meet the dungeon entry criteria. Is that acceptable?"

Li Zheng sent several messages in succession, during which the others graciously refrained from interrupting, waiting until he had finished expressing his thoughts.

That’s when the other four began to share their opinions.

First was Wang Chaoran, the little fanboy: "I unconditionally support anything the boss suggests; however the boss decides to distribute, I’m fine with it."

Liu Jin: "I have no objections either. Seeing that magnificent scene at the end with my own eyes was worth the trip. By the way, boss, you’re awesome!! (shakes the world)"

Ye Kai: "I have a slightly different opinion. Since we barely contributed, having the rewards from the last two draws is satisfying enough. Just give the Fire-Extinguishing Pearl directly to the big nephew; no need to distribute other items to us."

Lu Li: "That won’t do. As Old Li said, even if you three didn’t contribute, at least you helped achieve the conditions to enter the dungeon. The entry fee should still be paid. By the way, when I’m not having an episode, could you stop calling me big nephew?"

Ye Kai: "Alright, big nephew."

Those who could hang out with Li Zheng usually shared similar values; everyone thought it best to distribute the dungeon rewards fairly, often letting others take the lead.

After all, besides Li Zheng, the other four genuinely didn’t contribute anything.

Although this was the result of Li Zheng’s arrangements.

But wasn’t Old Li also considering their safety?

Everyone was reasonable enough not to nitpick on this detail.

After some not-so-intense discussion, Lu Li accepted the Fire-Extinguishing Pearl and then gave out some Diamond Level items to the others as a gesture. With that, this dungeon run was concluded.

Seeing the main business was done, Ye Kai tagged Li Zheng and asked other questions: "@Li Zheng, Old Li, what was up with this dungeon? Why was it so different from the ones we entered before? How come those Abyss creatures are willing to communicate with you?"

Lu Li also said, "Yeah, I’m also curious. That one talking to you should be an Enchanting Demon, right? How did she end up sending that little Enchanting Demon to you as a pet?"

The scene where the Enchanting Demon Queen handed Mirel over to Li Zheng was something Lu Li, with his vision ability, had seen clearly. He had long wanted to ask but only now found the chance.

Li Zheng thought for a moment, concealing details about Mirel’s identity, and explained the background of the fighting pit and the Abyss Demon Race to them.

Upon reviewing what had happened, Ye Kai and the others were quite moved.

Ye Kai: "So, you’re saying the Abyss creatures were once players, but they missed the chance to enter the Outer City?"

Lu Li: "I think the key point is what the Enchanting Demon Queen mentioned. Each batch of players only has 600 days in the Matrix. If they haven’t entered the Outer City within that period, they’ll end up like them, becoming part of the dungeon?"

Wang Chaoran: "Isn’t that quite unfair to those players who enter the Matrix later in the batch?"

Liu Jin: "It’s indeed unfair, but absolute fairness doesn’t exist in this world. You think it’s unfair for later players not to enter the Outer City; meanwhile, I feel for us pioneers who were the first to enter the Matrix, facing the highest casualties, okay?"

When new players enter the Matrix, they can join a legion directly, receiving protection from older players. Their casualty rate is way less than that of the first batch of players.

Actually, Li Zheng feels that Earth players are relatively lucky; at least it hasn’t devolved into a "dark forest" scenario, and the overall atmosphere leans towards peace, friendship, and mutual aid.

If everyone had Lin Fan’s mindset when they first entered the game, perhaps now the relations between humans on Earth wouldn’t be much different from that batch of players from the Abyss Demon Race.

The eventual outcome is self-explanatory.

If every individual in a population prioritizes selfishness, that population is not far from extinction.

But for now, it’s alright; at least Dragon Country players have legions like Kunlun and Nine Heavens that are willing to maintain a certain level of order.

Additionally, Li Zheng is about to head to the Outer City, where he might find a way to lead all players inside, avoiding adding a new dungeon to the Matrix.

At this moment, Ye Kai suddenly said, "After understanding the origins of the Abyss Demon Race, I’ve suddenly solved a question that’s been bothering me for many days.