Matrix Survival: One random treasure chest per day

Chapter 437 That's it? (6,000 words)
Li Zheng took off the cloak that seemed to conceal his appearance but was actually superfluous. Hearing the succubus queen's flustered words, he was speechless.

You just took off a cloak that wasn't even a proper coat, so why are you being so shy for no reason?
The succubus queen frantically unlocked the door, pushed it open, and glanced into the room with a flushed face.

Li Zheng tilted his head and shrugged, as if to say: Look, I'm all dressed up and equipped!

The Succubus Queen turned around, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. The current players are really slow at removing their equipment!

The door was closed, and Li Zheng changed out of his sticky clothes and threw them into the capsule, letting the housekeeping machine take them to be cleaned.

His current clothes and equipment were all hand-sewn by Li Chun from the inside out, and they were all made of diamond-grade or higher animal hides, which are sturdy and durable!

It would be too extravagant to throw away clothes of this quality just because they get dirty!

After all, it's quite difficult for a young girl to sew diamond-grade clothes. It's said that after obtaining the animal hide, it needs to undergo some special treatment before it can be used; otherwise, the clothes will feel uncomfortable to wear.

Li Zheng tidied his clothes and equipment, put his cloak back on, and pushed open the door. Another young succubus was waiting outside the bar. When she saw him come out, she gave him a disapproving look and said, "Come with me, I'll take you to the boxing match!"

Li Zheng touched his nose and chuckled to himself; the young succubus was still brooding over what had just happened.

He didn't bother to explain or apologize, and followed the succubus to the boxing match venue.

Passing by the registration area, Yang Mo was still sitting there.

Since no new demons had arrived, there were naturally no new participants, so it gave Li Zheng a strange smile with its head tilted to the side.

Li Zheng suddenly turned around and found that the three devils who had been sitting there drinking had left at some point. He guessed that those three were the opponents he would encounter in the boxing match.

The demon nodded slightly to the succubus. Li Zheng followed the young succubus girl, and after going around several bends and through several passages, the view suddenly opened up before them.

Li Zheng was shocked to discover that there was a stadium the size of a football field underground in the tavern, with a tall arena in the middle and strangely shaped abyssal demons sitting in the high stands around it.

The abyssal demons raised their arms or stretched their necks, and some kind of document in their hands or mouths swayed and floated back and forth.

Li Zheng thought of the pig demon he had encountered outside; it was probably this kind of ticket that it took from the counter, mainly used for betting on boxing matches.

The stadium should have been noisy and chaotic, but Li Zheng couldn't hear a sound at all, presumably because soundproofing measures had been taken below the stands.

"A noisy environment can easily affect both sides in a battle. Some abyssal demons may even feel excited and their combat power will increase because of such an environment."

This is unfair to the opponent, so Her Majesty has set up a soundproof barrier around the arena. Even if the stands are in an uproar, not a sound will be heard here.

The young succubus explained to Li Zheng, her expression still unfriendly, but there was a hint of appreciation in her eyes.

Those who can be favored by Her Majesty the Queen must be extraordinary. It's just a minor conflict, nothing serious.

If she could, she wouldn't mind spending a night with this cloaked fellow.

This is the kind of succubus who cannot control her desires. After losing her virginity, she becomes unrestrained and her lustful desires begin to overflow when she meets someone she likes.

So Li Zheng's stereotype of succubi is actually referring to this kind of succubus...

"Thank you." Li Zheng nodded and asked, "Where do we wait?"

"Over there." The succubus pointed to several stone pillars outside the arena, close to the stands below. "The contestants waiting to go are usually there, and now you're the only one missing."

"Okay, thank you, Miss. No need to see me off, I can go by myself." Li Zheng stepped past the succubus and prepared to go.

"Wait a minute, the Queen told me to give this to you!" The succubus first handed Li Zheng a fiery red bead, then arrogantly stuffed a long, hard card into his hand, turned her head and said, "If you... if you're not dead after the boxing match, you can come to this room to find me. I have some healing abilities and can help you heal your injuries."

Without waiting for Li Zheng's response, it flapped its wings and ran away.

Only then did Li Zheng notice that the succubus had a thin tail extending from its tailbone, with the tip curved like a hook.

As for why Li Zheng could see the base of the tail...

That's because the succubus had a hole in the back of her pants...

It's...very erotic...(///ω///)
After fiddling with the room key for a moment and putting it into the capsule, Li Zheng glanced at the fiery red bead again before turning and walking towards the waiting area.

A fire-type Star-level item can only grant immunity to fire damage within a certain level, which is of little use to Li Zheng.

Not to mention, this thing is automatically returned to the Succubus Queen when the dungeon ends, and cannot be taken out of the dungeon.

At this point, ten demons of various forms were already seated in the area. Apart from the three that the Succubus Queen had previously highlighted, we will briefly introduce the remaining seven minor characters.

A spider demon, with extraordinary peak strength, has eight segmented limbs, the two thickest ones used as legs, and a huge, fat belly.

A little devil, its entire body like a ball, with a pair of small wings that it kept flapping to keep from falling. Its strength should be at the initial Star Glory level.

A flying squirrel demon, half a person's height, a winged rat with a pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks, its beady eyes gleaming with a sinister light. It also had wings on its back, and its strength was at the peak of the extraordinary realm.

A roaring demon, resembling a chubby and cute raccoon with a thick neck, but no wings. Its strength is at the Star-level.

A fly demon, the smallest among those present, only the size of an infant's head, with a very long and thick reproductive organ hanging from its body, was the first thing Li Zheng wanted to kill. Its strength had just entered the Star Glory realm.

The remaining two, wearing cloaks like Li Zheng, were probably two of the people who had been drinking in the preparation room earlier. When they saw Li Zheng coming over, they both cast intriguing glances from under their cloaks.

The Eye of Preys revealed that the two cloaked figures were a Banshee of Pain and a Dark Elf.

Their strengths are evenly matched, both at the Star-level, only slightly weaker than the Flame Demon that the Succubus Queen emphasized in her introduction.

The other guy drinking while wearing a cloak, Li Zheng had seen the information before, should be that Howling Demon, except it had taken off its cloak.

After reading it, Li Zheng felt that what the Succubus Queen had said earlier was biased.

These two cloaked figures are clearly much more dangerous than that snake demon!

The pressure Li Zheng felt from them was significantly greater than that emanating from the snake demon and the pig demon.

After Li Zheng left, all eleven contestants arrived and sat quietly at a distance, without exchanging words with each other.

Li Zheng casually found a stone stool to sit on, and through his cloak, his gaze swept back and forth between his ten opponents.

The fact that a Star-level boxing match even included a demon at the peak of the Extraordinary level shows that they have enough confidence in their own strength and believe they can fight opponents of a higher level.

Or perhaps they each have their own unique skills. For example, that snake demon, although it possessed extraordinary peak strength, had caused many Star-level demons to suffer defeats at its hands due to the poisonous mist it spewed.

Li Zheng made no attempt to conceal his presence; his aggressive gaze was almost tangible. The other ten opponents were no ordinary people, and they all returned Li Zheng an annoyed look.

The red-skinned fire demon even made a throat-slitting gesture at Li Zheng. Its apparent strength was the strongest, and it was in no way inferior to the other demons.

Li Zheng looked at it carefully for a moment and then laughed.

Isn't this the first Balrog we saw outside the tavern that came through the portal?

It even looked up at itself with great alertness.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be his opponent in the boxing match.

Li Zheng did not back down, staring directly at the other party with an even more assertive gaze.

Since everyone on stage is an opponent, it's better to start competing offstage. Whoever backs down first will have less momentum on stage.

Suddenly, the sound barrier disappeared, and deafening shouts and roars pierced Li Zheng's eardrums, making his ears ache.

"Quiet!"

A moment later, the Succubus Queen's voice rang out, and the entire place gradually quieted down. Li Zheng also looked up.

Upon closer inspection, the Succubus Queen had changed her appearance. Although her previous disguise was beautiful, in Li Zheng's aesthetic sense, she was probably no different from an internet celebrity who had used beauty filters, and could only score 70 points.

However, at this moment, after shedding her disguise, the succubus queen's appearance directly hit Li Zheng's liking. Her dark eyebrows and delicate eyes seemed to be able to bewitch people's souls. She glanced at Old Li without leaving a trace, making him blush and his heart race.

"Wow, this smells amazing!" Li Zheng exclaimed inwardly. Unfortunately, the Succubus Queen was too powerful, and he couldn't take her as his servant.

What a pity...

"The Star-level boxing match is about to begin. Before that, I have something to announce!"

After a moment's thought, the Succubus Queen said, "The rewards for the Star-level competition in this tournament have been changed. The originally planned elite succubus servant will be replaced by Miriel, my own daughter!"

Wow!
The moment this news was announced, all the demons present were in an uproar, their faces filled with shock.

Li Zheng saw that the two demons sitting at the very top of the stands, on the same level as the Succubus Queen, also showed expressions of emotion, clearly not expecting the Succubus Queen to suddenly change the rewards before the boxing match even started.

And she replaced her own biological daughter with him!

Below the stands, the demons in the preparation area also became excited, their eyes gleaming with desire, all coveting the succubus princess.

Especially the snake demon, which flicked its scarlet tongue and twisted its whole body, as if it were celebrating its final victory.

"Winning the boxing match means I can take away the succubus princess? Why is the Queen only telling me now? Is it too late for me to sign up now? I'm giving up my chance to bet on this boxing match!"

A rough shout rang out from the corner. Li Zheng thought it sounded familiar, so he looked over.

It was the pig demon with whom they had exchanged a few words outside the tavern.

Its strength is relatively greater, and judging from the aura emanating from it, it should be at the peak of the Star Glory level.

Besides her, there were quite a few others who were interested, but they remained silent, waiting for the succubus queen's answer.

"If you miss the registration deadline, we will no longer accept last-minute registrations!"

The Succubus Queen coldly surveyed the demons in the arena. "The reason I announced this news just before the boxing match was to prevent those of you with ulterior motives from participating!"

Upon hearing this, those expectant eyes instantly turned to disappointment, and they were secretly annoyed, wondering why they had ever thought of betting on boxing this time.

If I participate in the boxing match, maybe the succubus princess will be mine!
There are two types of devils participating in the boxing tournament: those who fight in the ring to win the final prize, and those who sit in the stands and gamble on the fights.

There is only one option: those who engage in boxing betting are prohibited from participating in matches, and those who participate in matches are prohibited from participating in boxing betting. Their relatives and friends are also prohibited from placing bets, in order to do everything possible to prevent the occurrence of fixed matches.

If anyone is found to have violated the rules, the three kings will personally take action and execute them on the spot! The pig demon was immediately dissatisfied and shouted, "What are you saying, Queen? Go ask around in the Abyss, who doesn't know that I, the old pig, am the most honest demon in the entire Abyss? How can you say that I have ulterior motives?"

If it weren't for the lustful look in its eyes when it looked at the succubus queen, Li Zheng might still not have believed it.

What is a demon?
It's the opposite of everything good!
The Succubus Queen might be the most reasonable one in the entire Abyss, but she still didn't care about Li Zheng's life, did she? When it came to poisoning, she increased the dosage without any hesitation.

Is this pig demon an honest person?
Ah!
Even if the Buddha were alive, he could not convert it into an honest person!
The Succubus Queen ignored it and continued, "The rules for this Star-level boxing tournament are different from usual. It will be a two-on-two competition, with the loser eliminated and the extra person receiving a bye."

A head-to-head battle.

Li Zheng pondered in his heart: eleven people to start, ten people to fight, and one person to fly in the air.

Counting on my fingers, I realized I've played exactly ten matches!

"So, if I'm lucky, I might be able to clear this dungeon in just two runs?"

Although the opponent was of a higher rank, equivalent to a boss in other dungeons, after careful consideration, it actually saved me some trouble.
Li Zheng glared at the Succubus Queen, his eyes subtly signaling her to pull some strings and at least secure a bye in the first round.

The succubus queen seemed oblivious, raising her hand to reveal a perfectly square, opaque box in her palm.

"The bye spots for each player will be decided by drawing lots between the Lord of Destruction and the Lord of Fire, to avoid any suspicion of foul play!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zheng immediately lost his temper, realizing that he had been expecting things for nothing.

Just look at his face.

Is it by drawing lots to determine who gets a bye?
Think beautiful!
As expected, the Succubus Queen extended the box to the Balrog King beside her.

After a while, the Fire Demon King pulled out a stone stick from it.

The Succubus Queen took the stone slip and read aloud, "First round, bye—Dark Elf, Kursey!"

Li Zheng noticed that when the Succubus Queen announced the name, the Balrog King looked somewhat annoyed and glanced twice at the Balrog below the arena.

He immediately understood that this Star-level Flame Demon participating in the competition must have been instructed by the Flame Demon King to participate.

The initial goal was certainly not the succubus, but the profits from the boxing match.

“Interesting.” Li Zheng’s lips curled up. “The three kings control the rules themselves, yet they secretly engage in shady dealings. Truly worthy of being called the demon race, they don’t even abide by the rules they themselves set.”

Actually, Li Zheng misunderstood.

Besides the Succubus Queen, the other two hosts of each boxing tournament are not fixed; they are the kind of hosts that any of the Abyss Kings can participate in if they are interested.

However, one thing is certain: the three champions will act as the bookmakers, profiting from the betting on boxing matches.

The reason the Fire Demon King arranged for his own people to participate was simply to stabilize the odds and increase his profits.

Not only the Flame Demon King, but also the Succubus Queen and the Destruction King have placed their own people in the Extraordinary and King-level boxing matches, respectively.

However, the other two were more astute than the Balrog King, as they did not send their own demons to participate.

After announcing the players who received a bye, the Succubus Queen continued, "Now, let's announce the match results and opponents of the other ten!"

With a wave of his hand, a projection appeared in the air, displaying the names of the ten contestants.

The next second, the ten titles were shuffled and randomly drawn one by one.

"The first match: The Lamp Bearer versus the Balrog—Lorfa!"

After the succubus queen finished speaking, she sat back down in her seat.

A goat demon flew out from the stands and landed on the arena, loudly introducing himself: "Flame Demon Lorfa, from the middle layer of the Abyss Source, with a strength of mid-stage Star Glory."

Lorfa has participated in 32 boxing tournaments, including 12 Extraordinary-level matches where he won three final victories. He has also participated in 20 Star-level matches where he won five final victories!
During his 32-fight career, Lorfa has knocked out 58 opponents in the ring, a truly formidable feat!

As it was introduced, the Flame Demon Lorfa rose from the stone pier, slowly flew onto the arena, and occupied a corner.

Lorfa was very popular; as soon as it entered the arena, a deafening roar erupted from the stands.

The spectators who participated in the betting on the boxing match shouted its name loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Sheep Demon switched sides and continued shouting at the top of his lungs: "Next up is Lorfa's opponent for this match, the Lampholder!!"

This fighter is a newcomer, making his first appearance in the boxing tournament. His strength is estimated to be around the mid-level of the extraordinary rank!

However, everyone should not let the strength ranking limit their thinking. After all, there have been several geniuses in the history of the boxing association who were able to defeat opponents of a higher level!

Our great Lord of Destruction is the best example. He was only at the initial stage of the Transcendent realm when he killed a Star-level opponent, making him famous overnight!

The sheep demon stopped speaking and beckoned to Li Zheng, inviting him to come up on stage.

Li Zheng slowly got up, but instead of flying directly up, he walked to the front of the arena, flipped over and jumped onto it, standing opposite Lorfa.

This simple and unpretentious entrance drew cheers and jeers from the audience.

Compared to Li Zheng's somewhat "thin" physique, Lorfa's build was more powerful, and just looking at him exuded a sense of oppression.

"Next, you all have five minutes to place your bets. The initial odds for this battle are 1 to 8. Please hurry and place your bets carefully!" Sheep Demon said routinely, then stood in the middle of the arena and waited.

At this moment, Li Zheng asked, "Are you the referee?"

"I suppose so," the Sheep Demon nodded.

This sheep demon is not the same one as the one at the registration desk, so its attitude towards Li Zheng is lukewarm.

"Referee, are weapons and other props allowed during the competition? Are there any restrictions?" Li Zheng asked.

"You can use any means, including weapons and props, in the boxing tournament, as long as it doesn't exceed the limits of the competition you're participating in," Yang Mo explained simply.

"Thank you." Li Zheng understood, his right hand, hidden under his cloak, already gripping the Bloodthirsty Demon Blade.

He didn't know how these abyssal demons assessed his strength, but it was remarkably similar to the evaluation given by the terminal.

However, he didn't mind, after all, he had killed so many Star-level beings that he couldn't count them on one hand.

Ratings are irrelevant.

Moreover, he completely countered the opposing Flame Demon, making this match a perfect example of "dominating" the game.

Unfortunately, some people in the ring didn't think that way.

Lorfa grinned menacingly at Li Zheng and said, "Little guy, your aura is familiar. Wasn't that bug flying around outside the tavern earlier?"

Li Zheng knew this was the classic pre-match trash talk phase, and retorted without hesitation, "What you should be smelling is your own stench."

The Balrogs often soak in lava in volcanoes, so they always carry a very pungent sulfur smell that is difficult to get rid of.

"What do you know, you reptile? This is the price of becoming stronger." Lorfa revealed a cruel smile. "If you want to admit defeat, you still have a chance now. Otherwise, once the match starts, I'll roast you to a crisp!"

"Say as much as you can while you still can, otherwise you'll never have another chance after you lose." After saying this, Li Zheng ignored Lorfa and quietly waited for the match to begin.

He now understands why the extraordinary level matches take so long. Apparently, there's a five-minute betting period before each match starts. How could it not drag on?
Fortunately, it only lasted five minutes; I just had to bear with it for a bit and it passed.

Sheep Demon calculated the time, and as soon as five minutes were up, he jumped back into the stands and shouted, "Beting is over, the games are now closed, and the match begins!"

hum~
The sound barrier was activated again, completely isolating the sound from the stands, and the surroundings fell silent once more.

Li Zheng was a little unaccustomed to the sudden change from noise to quiet.

"Short."

Lorfa clashed his fists together and roared, "Behold the wrath of the flames!"

"Flame burns the sky!"

boom!
With a loud bang, the entire arena was covered in orange flames, and the high-temperature flames, hot enough to crack rocks, shot into the sky.

The spectators in the stands could even feel the heat of the flames and leaned back to avoid them.

"This is Lorfa's specialty attack method: using extremely hot flames to create a blanket of burning, leaving the opponent nowhere to land within the arena!"

"I remember it once used this move to burn a spider demon to death. The spider demon didn't even have a chance to fight back from the start of the battle until it died!"

"A mere mid-level Transcendent dares to participate in a Star-level boxing match. Sigh... still too young."

"We won! Time to collect the money! The odds weren't high, but they were stable!"

"That little guy is dead meat. Lorfa's Blazing Sky attack, used in such a small area, is hopeless unless you have overwhelming strength."

"What a pity! I bet a hundred Abyss Crystals on that little guy, and now it seems I've lost everything again!"

In the stands, some devils were already preparing to throw away their betting tickets, all believing that Li Zheng could not survive in this environment.

Just then, a demon pointed at the arena engulfed in flames and exclaimed in surprise, "Look! That little guy isn't dead! Not only is he alive, but... his cloak isn't even burned!"

"My God, how is this possible? How did he do that?"

The demons, who were about to throw the tickets, withdrew their hands and looked expectantly at the figure emerging from the flames.

"That's it?"

Li Zheng scoffed, "With flames this weak, are you really a Flame Demon?"

"If this is all the tricks you have, it's easy for you to beat me..."

(End of this chapter)