I'm Trapped in the Block

A Fishman?

Before Li Luo’s shocked eyes, Bai Zhou opened the front guard of his diving helmet, revealing a glass window.

Through the glass window, his face was visible.

"See? I’m a Fishman. I need to stay in the water."

Li Luo peered inside.

It was a human face, submerged in water. Although the refraction made it look very strange, there was no denying that he was a normal person.

Mo Ling was also stunned by Bai Zhou’s words.

Before this, Mo Ling had carefully inspected the inside of Bai Zhou’s helmet and found a person submerged in water. He had just assumed it was the cost of some relic.

’Being submerged in water prevents the distortion.’ That was what Mo Ling had guessed at the time.

But now he was claiming to be a Fishman?

Just then, Bai Zhou suddenly checked the time on his electronic screen.

"Time to change the water."

He walked to the edge of the pool and took off his diving helmet. Water SPLASHED out.

A handsome face was revealed. Though covered in stubble and a bit pale, it was undeniably human.

His skin wasn’t swollen from the long immersion. He looked as if he had just finished a swim; other than a few water droplets, he was no different from a normal person.

At that moment, however, he was holding his breath, his mouth shut tight, his face slightly red from the effort.

While still holding his breath, he shook his diving helmet to empty it completely, then submerged it in the pool, letting the clear water fill it up.

Once the helmet was full, he heaved it back onto his head.

Before the water could spill, he twisted the helmet shut and then began breathing deeply underwater.

"I hadn’t changed the water in a long time. It felt a little strange."

Mo Ling was completely dumbfounded.

’This is too weird. He’s clearly a human, so why does he insist he’s a Fishman?’

"I’d like to exchange information. Can you tell me your method for resisting the distortion?" Bai Zhou asked.

After getting Mo Ling’s approval, Li Luo told Bai Zhou about the principle behind the red headband.

After listening, he nodded. "An ability to recognize one’s self? That’s about what I guessed. The Black Tower distorts one’s sense of identity, not just language."

Hearing this, Li Luo couldn’t wait to ask, "Do you also use a method to lock down your sense of identity?"

"No. I’m immune to the distortion because I’m a Fishman," Bai Zhou explained earnestly.

"..."

"But you’re just a normal human..."

As he was speaking, Li Luo suddenly thought of something and asked Bai Zhou, "What is your relic?"

Bai Zhou pointed to his diving helmet.

"Did you upload the relic’s information?" Li Luo pressed.

Bai Zhou nodded.

Li Luo quickly searched on his electronic screen and soon found the information for the diving helmet.

...

[Relic: Diving Helmet]

[Cost: The user will permanently believe they are a Fishman.]

[Abilities: Underwater breathing, water flow control, enhanced strength, Fishman Language, and other Fishman abilities the user "believes" they have. Awaiting development.]

[Discovery Location: 2nd Floor of the Abyss]

[Discoverer: Bai Zhou]

...

’This is another form of identity lock!’

’But it locks one’s identity as a Fishman.’

Bai Zhou also saw the relic information on the electronic screen but didn’t seem to care at all.

"What’s written here is wrong. I’ve always been a Fishman."

He then began to explain to Li Luo the reason for this "misunderstanding."

...

Bai Zhou was originally a Fishman from the 3rd Floor of the Abyss, living in the endless sea. But a storm separated him from his race.

It was difficult for a Fishman to survive after leaving their people. Bai Zhou wanted to find a way back, but the storm was too violent, and he had no idea where he had been sent.

The 3rd Floor of the Abyss was extremely dangerous, filled with terrifying sea monsters and strange distortion phenomena on its various islands.

Fortunately, the Fishman Race was immune to distortion, so Bai Zhou stuck close to the islands, barely managing to survive.

But his luck didn’t last. He was caught in an ocean undertow, and by the time he came to his senses, he had arrived at the Chaotic Sand Dunes on the 2nd Floor of the Abyss.

This was a death sentence for Bai Zhou. In the eyes of the Fishman Race, the Chaotic Sand Dunes were a forbidden death zone, even more terrifying than the Bottom of the Abyss.

But his luck was extremely good. Not far away was the Black Tower, and he collapsed right in front of it.

When he woke up, he was already wearing the diving helmet and lying on a bed in the Black Tower’s infirmary.

A group of researchers was staring at him curiously.

"Bai Zhou, are you all right?"

’They actually know my name?’

Bai Zhou was a little surprised. ’But this is the Abyss; anything is possible. Maybe it was some relic that identifies people.’

"I’m fine." As the words left his mouth, Bai Zhou realized something was wrong.

’Why can I understand human language and even reply?’

"We found you collapsed outside the Black Tower wearing this helmet. Did anything happen before that?" a researcher asked with concern.

’Didn’t you guys put this on me?’

Bai Zhou found it strange, but these people had saved him and didn’t seem to hold any prejudice against him. So, he told them his story.

The researchers wore strange expressions as they listened to his tale.

After asking a few more questions, they said to Bai Zhou, "You should get some rest for now. If you have any problems, you can talk to this nurse."

"We’ve finished recording your relic’s information. You probably wouldn’t believe us if we explained it, so just find me again when you have questions."

The researcher took a photo of his helmet and left.

’A relic?’

Bai Zhou touched his diving helmet, and a realization seemed to dawn on him.

"I get it! This helmet lets me communicate normally with humans and completely understand their behavior!"

Among the Fishman Race, relics were also extremely rare, so Bai Zhou was thrilled. But after the excitement wore off, fear began to set in.

"What’s the cost?"

Just then, he saw a mirror on the bedside table. Inside the helmet was a completely unfamiliar human face.

"Is the cost... changing my appearance into a human?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

’Humans are so ugly.’

Still, the relic’s ability had just saved his life, providing help exactly when he needed it most.

These humans hadn’t been prejudiced against him for being a Fishman; on the contrary, they had saved him.

’Humans are so friendly.’

’I like humans.’

He grimaced and bared his teeth in front of the mirror. His strange behavior gave the nearby nurse quite a scare. Only then did he notice someone was there, and he quickly apologized.

"I feel like I’ve pretty much recovered. Can you take me to the 3rd Floor of the Abyss?" Bai Zhou asked the nurse earnestly.

The nurse froze for a moment, then shook her head frantically.

"Why not? Is it because it costs money here?" Bai Zhou suddenly realized he wasn’t among the Fishman Race anymore.

He had heard an elder of his race say that human society was very complex; everything required something called "money."

The elder had told him: "Humans are a very powerful race. They use this thing called money as a ’cost’ to make resources flow quickly. They call it a ’general equivalent.’ What an amazing creation."

Bai Zhou could still remember the look of longing in the elder’s eyes.

’Humans are truly great!’

But the most terrifying thing right now was—

—he had no money.

Bai Zhou tugged the corner of the nurse’s clothes and asked seriously:

"Where can I get money fast?"