vrcanaries Chapter 1449 Chaos in the Central District and the Duel
Chapter 1449 Chaos in the Central District and the Duel
"Attempting to...destroy the Ten Realms?"
Upon hearing Mans's words, Lin Yu repeated the charge with some surprise.
Mans nodded: "Yes... Although the specifics are unknown, it is said that there is indeed a terrifying being inside, plotting to destroy the Ten Realms at the same time."
Lin Yu clicked his tongue in astonishment: "That's really insane... But can they even bring in someone like that?"
Mans laughed and said, "Even among the gods, my lord is considered powerful... not to mention, my lord has many divine allies."
"However, precisely because of this, there are also some prisoners temporarily imprisoned in this eternal cage. They were temporarily stuffed in because they offended other gods. Most of them are located in the outer ring—many of you 'Seekers of the Way' have also been imprisoned in this way."
"Of course... although it was out of respect for the other gods, especially the 'God of Power,' that our Lord took in these criminals. However, they must have committed certain sins to be sent here, and in most cases, their sentences are lighter than those of other criminals. First of all, they won't be imprisoned for thousands of years like the elves, and their treatment will be much better... After all, our Lord holds the power of 'fairness,' so our Lord's imprisonment and punishment of these criminals will still be in accordance with the principle of 'fairness.'"
Lin Yu nodded, as he was no exception in this regard.
"So, in what ways do they receive 'treatment' that is different from other races?"
Lin Yu asked, and Mans replied, "Well... you should have noticed that the buildings in each area here are all different."
“Yes,” Lin Yu said, “why is that?”
“Naturally, it’s because of ‘punishment.’ Every building here is tailor-made for prisoners, designed to make them as uncomfortable as possible without harming their health or lifespan,” Mans said. “For example, the ‘elf race’ likes to pursue individuality, enjoys high art, and likes to decorate their dwellings. So, our Lord makes them live in these monotonous, personality-less dormitories, with each person in a single room, unable to communicate with or see each other.”
"At the same time, their time for exercise is also staggered from that of their own kind; at most, only one Elf can be out exercising at any one time."
Lin Yu was shocked: "There's actually such a system?"
Mans chuckled and said, “Yes… the situation in other areas is similar. In short, the goal is to make these prisoners uncomfortable—those who like quiet are placed in noisy environments, those who like darkness live in glass rooms, and those who like dampness have to endure dry heat… In addition to the buildings, the ‘activities’ and ‘daily routines’ arranged for them will also make them feel uncomfortable to some extent.”
"The reason why the elves are allowed to go out for a walk alone is to prevent them from actually losing their mobility while staying in their rooms, but also to prevent them from actually having the opportunity to communicate with each other. So they are simply allowed to go out for a walk one by one."
“Those who like to sleep will have their sleep time reduced, and those who like to enjoy delicious food will be made to eat tasteless food… These are punishments that prisoners who have not committed particularly serious crimes but were sent in by other gods will not suffer.”
"They were just kept in places where they wouldn't feel too uncomfortable, and they were allowed to go out for fresh air periodically."
"Of course... if other gods send someone who has violated the five deadly sins and the three taboos, they will naturally be treated as a normal prisoner."
Lin Yu listened thoughtfully and said, "I see... then it seems I might actually run into some people I know."
"However, you just mentioned 'exercise time'... Do the prisoners here have free time?"
“Of course there is,” Mans said cheerfully. “Our Lord’s purpose is only to punish them and make them bear the consequences of their actions, and also to enable them to forgive and repent from the depths of their souls, rather than to subject them to meaningless torment and eternal despair.”
"So... our Lord will also allow them normal moments of 'relaxation,' and may even give them some hope."
"For example... the important figures on the 'Celestial Ring' must have told you that the trials you are undergoing include enduring attacks from the prisoners inside, because they are told that... attacking 'seekers' like you will give them the opportunity to gain freedom."
Lin Yu nodded: "Of course, that's what I'm curious about too... If most of the prisoners here are kept inside the building and their movements are completely restricted, wouldn't I be less likely to encounter any trouble?"
Mans laughed: "Hey, the situation here is indeed quite optimistic... However, the 'solo exercise' for the elves is an exception, and most elves have indeed been tortured to the point of numbness, but it's not the same in the other outer ring areas."
"In fact, the reason you ended up here is because this area, including several nearby areas, is considered a 'safe zone,' and most seekers of the Dao start their journey here."
"But if you go to other places, you might encounter those members' group outings... and in some areas, the members are not kept in fixed small rooms."
Lin Yu nodded in agreement as he listened to Mans's words.
No wonder this guy is so adept at getting benefits; he's a regular NPC in the starting village.
He also remarked that this "trial" was indeed quite challenging and not something he could easily overcome.
He also noticed the content of Mans's words.
"You're saying this is the situation at the 'outer ring,' meaning that things will be even more different once you get to the middle ring, the core?"
Lin Yu asked curiously.
Mans nodded: "Yes, I don't know about the situation in the core, but in the central area... almost all the prisoners there have a lot of freedom of movement. Most of the time they can move freely within their assigned area, and they can even apply to change areas."
Lin Yu was stunned: "Why? I thought breaking taboos was a more serious matter than committing a crime..."
“Of course it’s more serious, because the prisoners in the Central District are also punishing each other,” Mans said calmly. “While freedom may be restricted in the Outer District, at least all races here have the resources to maintain their vital signs.”
"But in Central... the amount of life-sustaining resources distributed daily is less than the total number of prisoners."
"At the same time, all the buildings there are freely accessible."
“In Central, all the ‘guards’ only need to ensure one thing—that no prisoner dies.”
"Apart from that, I don't care about anything else."
Lin Yu suddenly realized something.
The Central district is a more chaotic, disorderly, and brutal area than the Outer District. Here, they are not only confined to a small space, but they also have to compete with other prisoners for resources.
Prisoners in Central probably can't even sleep soundly at night.
That was truly an indescribably brutal life, and because no one died, it was almost destined to continue forever.
However, Lin Yu also had new questions.
"But if that's the case, there will always be strong ones who stand out and win every battle to secure a more comfortable life in Central, right? In that case... wouldn't the 'Eternal Cage' become a kind of enjoyment for those beings?"
Mans shook his head with a smile: "You're still naive. For them, the reward for winning is just an extra 'life-sustaining supplies,' which won't improve their quality of life."
“Even life-sustaining resources are not necessities for them—although they are called life-sustaining resources, they will not actually die even if they do not get them for ten years; they will just suffer endless hunger, thirst, and other physical pain.”
"Moreover, in that environment, ambushes and poisoning are not prohibited. All the prisoners will naturally scheme and plot against each other. So there are almost no strong people like you who can always win. No matter how well they adapt to the combat mode here, they will eventually be ambushed and surrounded until they are exhausted."
"Moreover... if someone really shows such a tendency, or if someone intends to break the atmosphere of each fighting their own battles and deceiving each other in Central, the Guardians will naturally intervene and adjust the system so that they cannot show goodwill to each other."
As Mans spoke, Lin Yu nodded in understanding.
It seems that if I want to get to the central area... how to get across Central is a big problem.
If I were to go in, even if my identity wasn't exposed, I'd probably still be attacked by others—after all, in Central, everyone who sees a living being other than themselves is seen as a competitor, and it's never a loss to strike first.
Thinking of this, Lin Yu asked, "Then... I have another question."
"'Duel'...what does that mean here?"
Lin Yu hadn't forgotten his conditions for passing the level, and asked aloud.
Although this "eternal cage" seems to offer the potential for many battles to erupt, Lin Yu doesn't think that simply getting into a fight with passing prisoners in the outer and middle rings qualifies as a "duel."
Mans laughed when he heard what Lin Yu said.
“'Duel'...this is the last and only 'right' of the prisoners held in the 'Eternal Cage'.”
“No matter where the prisoner is, they have the right to challenge other prisoners and guards to a duel—once both parties agree, they place a wager that they both agree on, and then they can enter another place under the control of our Lord, the ‘Land of the Death,’ for an absolutely fair and just duel!”