I'm Trapped in the Block

The *Fishman Annals* described the Sea Moon Ceremony in great detail.

"When the thick fog spreads and rot runs rampant, the moon shall rise from the sea to disperse the fog..."

Only the moon could disperse the ever-thickening fog that shrouded Fishman Island.

Jeff explained that the fog on Fishman Island had a special property: it could transform the environment into one suitable for Fishmen to live in.

This fog humidified the air, adding moisture to the entire island and maintaining its dampness.

It also blocked direct sunlight, keeping the whole of Fishman Island in a state of dimness and protecting the Fishmen from the sun’s harmful rays.

Not only that, but the dense fog of Fishman Island also had a property that made things "decay" and "age," steeping the entire island in an atmosphere of fishy rot.

Although humans would find this atmosphere repulsive, to the Fishmen, it was the most suitable for their survival.

What smelled like a stench to others was a fragrance to them. They found the air "fresh." This was the unique scent of Fishman Island; to smell it was to be home.

However, when taken to an extreme, things reverse. As the fog continued to thicken, its transformative effects on Fishman Island grew ever stronger.

Once its humidifying effect intensified, the entire island would turn into a muddy flatland, so boggy that it would even impede the Fishmen’s movement.

The light-blocking effect would also grow stronger, to the point that the entire island would be plunged into darkness.

Most terrifying of all, when the fog’s decaying property intensified, it would even affect the island’s living creatures, causing small, weak animals to die and accelerating the rot and decay of the buildings in Fishman Village.

This decay was completely unavoidable, and the "fragrance" drifting through the air would become even thicker.

Although the Fishmen liked the smell, any scent becomes a burden when it’s overwhelmingly strong. Just as a human would be repulsed by an extremely potent and cloyingly sweet perfume, the Fishmen would even start to feel nauseated.

Therefore, the fog could not be allowed to become too thick. The *Fishman Annals* stated this clearly, warning future generations of Fishmen to prepare for the Sea Moon sacrifice in advance.

After the moon rose, according to the *Fishman Annals*, performing the sacrifice to it would cause the moon to clear the excess fog from Fishman Island, beginning the next cycle of accumulation.

After listening to Jeff, Li Luo nodded thoughtfully.

"Do we have to perform the sacrifice? What happens if we don’t?" she asked curiously.

Jeff thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don’t know. The *Fishman Annals* says we must perform the sacrifice as prescribed. There’s no record of what happens if we don’t."

Of course, they wouldn’t go against the contents of their ancient texts. After all, it was the accumulated experience of their ancestors.

Humans also hold celebrations and perform rituals during many festivals; these are just inherited customs.

Rather than wondering about the consequences of not performing the ritual, it was more likely that rituals and festive customs were a way for humans to comfort themselves.

More often than not, festivals were merely a form of psychological solace.

The laws of nature are immutable. Even if humanity did nothing, Earth would continue to revolve and rotate, and the twenty-four solar terms would still exist.

’I wonder if the Sea Moon follows a similar pattern?’ Mo Ling thought.

But in the Abyss, everything was just speculation.

The Fishmen’s level of civilization didn’t seem very high. A ritual like this could perhaps boost morale and strengthen their collective identity.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like some kind of ritual akin to "worshipping the heavens."

The more Mo Ling thought about it, the deeper he delved, and the more he came to understand the "Sea Moon Ceremony."

Li Luo seemed to have figured it out as well and didn’t ask any more questions.

But the fog was indeed too thick. The deeper they went into the island’s interior, the more severe its effects became. Collapsed trees and the corpses of small dead animals were visible everywhere.

The trees had withered from the lack of sunlight, their demise hastened by the rot. The small animals struggled to survive due to food shortages and the changing environment.

The fog was severely affecting the island’s ecosystem.

The beams from the Fishmen’s flashlights swept back and forth through the dim fog. Gradually, they could no longer see the other Fishmen around them, hearing only the soft squelch of footsteps on the muddy ground.

Fortunately, Mo Ling’s vision wasn’t affected by the fog. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

As he followed along, Mo Ling observed the island’s appalling environment.

’It seems they really do need a grand ceremony to stabilize morale.’

As they walked on, a blinding beam of light swept toward them from the fog in the distance.

A pillar of light, like one from a lighthouse spotlight, hit the group of Fishmen. After sweeping over them a few times, it settled on the path ahead, seemingly guiding the way.

"We’re almost there."

The Fishmen reinforced the tentacles of water they were using to carry the goods and quickened their pace.

Following the light, they soon arrived at the base of the lighthouse.

Many Fishmen were already waiting there. When the transport team arrived, they took over the cargo and moved it elsewhere.

As they drew closer, a corner of the Fishman Village came into Mo Ling’s view.

The Fishmen’s houses seemed to be a mix of many materials—wood, stone, and even sheet metal taken from humans. These disparate building materials were somehow cleverly combined.

Although they looked like something from a scrap heap, there was a sense of order within the chaos.

The architectural style resembled stilt houses, with tall poles hoisting the dwellings high up, their ends sunk deep into the mud to serve as foundations.

The buildings were at various heights, the poles crisscrossing haphazardly. Yet this chaotic structure maintained a strange stability, with the buildings above locked firmly together, forming a continuous whole.

Mo Ling even saw some Fishmen leaping and bounding across the structures. They zipped back and forth using the interconnected buildings, and their landing spots didn’t wobble in the slightest—they were incredibly solid.

"What a fascinating architectural style," Mo Ling couldn’t help but exclaim.

The thin poles didn’t look like they could support such heavy structures, but the Fishmen had managed it.

While Mo Ling was marveling at this, the Fishmen had already transferred the cargo into some of the lower houses.

Li Luo took this opportunity to ask Jeff about ships heading in a different direction.

But Jeff seemed utterly clueless. His sagacious fish eyes stared at Li Luo for a long time, but he couldn’t give her a clear answer.

"I was just about to report to the Great Clan Leader. I’ll take you to ask him," Jeff said blankly, clutching the captain’s liquor.

Li Luo looked at Jeff’s wide, round fish eyes and had no choice but to agree.

The two of them continued walking toward the village center.

Soon, a unique building appeared in Mo Ling’s sight.

This structure was made entirely of wood. It didn’t follow the architectural style of the other Fishman houses; instead, it looked like an overturned boat resting on the ground, completely out of place with its surroundings.

As he got closer, Mo Ling saw that there was a huge space underneath the boathouse-like structure.

The material of this underground space was also wood, and astonishingly, the wooden walls showed no trace of rot. They looked brand new.

Upon closer inspection, Mo Ling discovered that the surface of the wood seemed to have an oily sheen, like a layer of dried, transparent gel or a plastic film, cleverly sealing the wood from the outside world.

Li Luo walked up to it, also very curious about the boathouse, and stopped to look for a long time.

"This is made of immortal wood. It’s the only one in the whole village. It’s where we keep the ancient Fishman texts, sort of like a human library," Jeff explained.

"The Great Clan Leader should be inside."