Matrix Survival: I Get A Random Chest Every Day-Chapter 827 - 588: The Blacksmith and His Seven Useless, Good-for-Nothing Disciples

"Come inside the shop first."

The blacksmith gave Li Zheng the impression of being the silent type, not saying much, and his voice was very soft.

However, Li Zheng could tell that hidden within the blacksmith's subdued voice was an incredibly terrifying burst of power!

If unleashed completely, perhaps just his voice alone could shock weaker beings to death by its sheer intensity.

"After you, please." Li Zheng stepped aside, allowing the blacksmith to enter first as the host, while he followed half a step behind, walking alongside Zi Shu.

"The teacher's back, the teacher's back, everyone sit properly!"

Icarus's frantic voice emerged, causing a brief commotion in the blacksmith shop due to the blacksmith's return.

As Li Zheng entered, he saw that the spacious storefront, cluttered with a vast array of equipment, gear, tools, and counters, left only a small open space in the middle. Eight aliens of various appearances sat on small stools, eagerly watching the blacksmith standing at the center.

It looked very much like a school lineup, waiting obediently to eat their fruit, extremely well-behaved.

The blacksmith glanced around, and the atmosphere in the shop became oppressively tense. Even the usually lively and carefree Icarus now adopted a serious demeanor.

"You all should know the reason for calling you back this time," the blacksmith said gravely. "During the days I wasn't in the shop, aside from your senior brother who needed to manage the shop and occasionally come up with some new inventions, what have you achieved individually? Let's hear it."

Goodness!

Is this an unannounced assignment inspection?!

Li Zheng thought silently, looking at the master and apprentices.

No wonder those eight apprentices looked as if they were facing a great enemy; who wouldn't panic when the teacher surprise checks the homework?

Oh, there is someone who doesn't panic.

Li Zheng looked towards the calmest of the eight, an alien resembling a crane, with a tuft of elder-like beard on his chin.

Wearing a greasy uniform, he exuded a sense of weariness from every inch.

He must be the so-called senior brother.

Just now, the blacksmith acknowledged him, which is why he was the only one able to remain composed.

"Nobody wants to speak?"

The blacksmith's stern gaze swept over the apprentices again, finally settling on the one sitting opposite the senior brother. "Then let's start with the youngest, the eighth one. Have you come up with any new inventions recently?"

The eighth apprentice was different from normal beings, without a standard flesh and blood body, instead appearing as a humanoid blue light, with only faint traces of facial features on the head.

"Teacher... I... don't have any new inventions..."

The eighth apprentice stood up, not daring to speak loudly.

The blacksmith frowned, "The seventh one, how about you?"

The seventh apprentice resembled the blacksmith greatly, except his horns pointed skyward, filled with menace. His fierce looks could scare children into silence back on Earth.

Yet, even such a fierce-looking person shrank like a quail in front of the blacksmith, muttering, "Teacher, I don't either."

"The sixth one?" The dissatisfaction on the blacksmith's face grew more pronounced.

"I... don't have any..." The sixth one, a tabby cat, was the shortest among the eight apprentices, so short that sitting on the stool and hiding among the burly men around, one might not even notice him unless paying close attention.

Is this Pasi Cat?

Li Zheng looked at him curiously, why does he seem different from their last meeting?

Where's his usual cute way of speaking?

Or did I mistake him for someone else?

"The fifth one..." The blacksmith asked successively, hesitating slightly when it came to the fifth one, "Forget about it, just keep quiet!"

The fifth one: "...?"

Why don't I even get a chance to be mistaken?

This feels so unjustified, doesn't it?

Li Zheng watched with interest, the fifth apprentice was the most unique-looking, as in Li Zheng's eyes, his features were just a blur.

Or rather... Li Zheng could only see a mess of mosaics at where the fifth apprentice was supposed to be.

Next came the fourth, who had a horse-like face but also shook his head apologetically, indicating he had no new inventions.

When it was finally Icarus's turn, change happened at last.

Upon being named by the blacksmith, Icarus's face lit up with pride, "Teacher, I have something!"

"Go on." For the first time, an expression appeared on the blacksmith's face that was otherwise as cold as if it would drip water. It seemed these useless apprentices weren't completely without merit.

"I am currently developing something that can convert laziness into energy. Once it's successful, the land of sloth in the Land of the Seven Sins won't stand a chance!" Icarus puffed out his chest and looked proudly at his fellow apprentices.

"Conquer laziness?" The blacksmith's face turned chillingly cold, "With just you?!"

Even the blacksmith wouldn't dare to boast such a claim, how could Icarus be capable of solving a problem that countless geniuses over endless years couldn't solve?

"Teacher, Icarus just said it's still in development," Pasi Cat rolled his eyes and pointed at Icarus, "It's a half-finished product, and unlikely to succeed, can that be considered an achievement?"

"Shut up!" Icarus roared angrily, "Mind your own business!"

That damn cat, always there to bring him down.

If he was so great, why didn't he show some results instead of talking?

When asked just now, wasn't he acting as if he was about to die?

Icarus really wanted to bite this sixth apprentice to death. Ever since they both became apprentices under the blacksmith, they hadn't got along.

"You keep your mouth shut too, sit down!" The blacksmith shouted, his suppressed voice unleashed a sliver of might, instantly making everyone feel as though they couldn't breathe.

Icarus's face turned ashen, as if struck by a hammer, lost the brilliance he had just moments ago, and collapsed helplessly on the stool.

"You are all my direct disciples, yet during my absence, none of you cared to make progress, instead giving in to laziness and indolence," the blacksmith said gravely, "If this gets out, it will ruin the reputation of my blacksmith shop!"

"Teacher."

At this point, the senior disciple, who had been silent, stood up, "This cannot all be blamed on the junior disciples; the Outer City has developed over endless years, everything that could be invented has already been invented. Breaking through the tech barrier is nearly impossible."

"Right..." Icarus grumbled weakly, "We want to come up with something new too, but if I bring out another ham stick type of thing, you'll definitely kill me..."

This time, Pasi Cat didn't bring Icarus down.

Because this was a dilemma not only faced by the blacksmith shop but by all the stores in the Outer City principally engaged in research and manufacturing.

It wasn't just Icarus who made unreliable ham stick weapons; who among them hadn't created something unreliable to meet the expectations?

The Salted Fish Spear, the Technology Cup, the Resonating Technology Staff (also called the Technology Stick), didn't they know these things weren't up to standard when they invented them?

But there was no other choice!

The Outer City had developed for so many years, the resources that could be found were already all of those types, everything that could be researched had long been thoroughly studied.

They were indeed incapable!

If not, why wouldn't you stay in the well-off shop, teacher, and run off to become a Merchant in the Matrix?

Isn't it because you're hoping to get some semi-logical ideas from new races in an attempt for more invention breakthroughs?

"I feel you all have gone astray in your thinking."

A voice suddenly interjected inappropriately, causing everyone to shift their gaze to the stranger standing next to the Zi Shu siblings by the door.

Pasi Cat's eyes narrowed sharply upon seeing him.

It's him?

Upon hearing that Li Zheng had a different viewpoint, Icarus loudly asked, "Then what brilliant ideas do you have? Share for us to learn from?"

"Learning or not..." Li Zheng smiled humbly, "With a great teacher like the blacksmith, what knowledge wouldn't you all have? I'm just an outsider, merely sharing a layman's perspective."

"You know you're an outsider, why butt in?" Icarus frowned, feeling very displeased.

If the blacksmith weren't present, he might have directly lashed out, making this audacious guy before him suffer a bit.

"Did you forget I told you to shut up?!" The blacksmith barked out loudly, with an invisible sonic wave targeting Icarus, knocking him head over heels.

When he got up, his face was even paler.

After reproaching Icarus, the blacksmith turned to Li Zheng and asked, "What brilliant ideas do you have? Feel free to speak, anyone who dares to offend you again, I'll surely punish them heavily for you!"

"I wouldn't call it a brilliant idea." Li Zheng proposed, "Since it's hard to find breakthroughs in new types of tools, could there be a possibility... I'm just saying it as a possibility... that the things invented earlier could still have room for improvement?"