I'm Trapped in the Block

The petite Mineral Race member continued to chatter on, leaving Mo Ling dumbfounded.

’The Hetero-vein Disease is truly extraordinary.’

Mo Ling wandered the streets by himself for a few more laps and discovered that Neon Village was indeed much more developed than the mines outside.

The Mineral Race members here were diverse. There were no factional conflicts like on the outside, and different types were conversing amicably with one another.

Moreover, they all had their own tasks. Some were repairing buildings, some were using their abilities to reinforce stone pillars, and others were adjusting prisms.

What was most common were various forms of art; Mineral Race members making sand paintings, sculptures, and murals were everywhere.

Some Mineral Race members even lined up a row of colorful crystals and tapped on them with their hands, producing a beautiful melody like the chiming of metal and stone.

Nearby, there was brass music similar to horns, and also plucked string music from instruments like harps made of gemstones.

However, the most prevalent was percussion, composed of crystals with various timbres, producing sounds that were both crisp and deep.

There were also instruments made of copper and iron resembling cymbals, which the Mineral Race People used to create rhythmic, metallic sounds.

The timbres of these instruments were all highly distinctive—pure, yet they didn’t clash. They blended together cleverly in a single piece of music, looking as if they had been rehearsing together for a long time.

The Mineral Race members were also masters at playing instruments made of the same material as themselves, in no way inferior to the master musicians Mo Ling had seen on TV.

After enjoying the performance for a while, the Mineral Race members noticed someone listening and began to play with even more vigor.

Only after the piece was finished did Mo Ling depart under the reluctant gazes of these masters.

’They’re really living a rich and fulfilling life.’

But this was understandable. The Mineral Race didn’t need to eat or sleep. If it weren’t for war and the Hetero-vein Disease, they’d probably all be lying around like corpses next to the mineral veins.

Originally devoid of desire, they were transformed by the Hetero-vein Disease and gained emotions. It was only natural they would stray further and further down the path of pleasure.

’This is probably the Mineral Race’s own little paradise. This is pretty good, too.’

This was at least much better than being dragged into a war right after being born.

When he circled back to where they’d started, Mo Ling saw that the petite Mineral Race member seemed to have grown even more interested in Shibeng, relentlessly asking him all sorts of strange questions:

"What do you usually like to do?"

"Is fighting outside hard?"

"How do you overcome fear? Why don’t I see any ripples on you?"

"Are you not scared of me at all? Is it because I’m pretty?"

Shibeng gave curt, sporadic answers. The moment he finished one, another question was thrown at him. The petite Mineral Race member would even answer for Shibeng, muttering to herself.

The expression on her face grew increasingly shy. She slowly began to move closer to Shibeng, but was careful not to touch him.

"We should go find the village chief," Li Luo said to Shibeng.

"I’m not going," Shibeng replied. "You two go on ahead."

Mo Ling almost thought Shibeng had been captivated by the petite Mineral Race member, but on second thought, that didn’t seem right. A basalt head like Shibeng probably didn’t understand such things.

"You’re staying here by yourself?" Li Luo also gave Shibeng and the petite Mineral Race member a strange look.

Shibeng nodded, stood his ground, and stared intently at the bewildered petite Mineral Race member before him.

’No way, is he really captivated?’ Mo Ling even started to suspect Shibeng had been infected with the Hetero-vein Disease.

However, a deep and resolute voice emerged from within Shibeng’s helmet:

"Yes. I’m staying here by myself."

"I must... face my fear!"

The petite Mineral Race member was taken aback by Shibeng’s words and asked in confusion, "Face what fear? Is there some kind of danger here?"

Shibeng didn’t answer her question, cutting her off directly.

"Take me to your home. Let the fear come at me even more fiercely."

The petite Mineral Race member was a little confused, but seeing that Shibeng had accepted her invitation, a happy smile spread across her face, and she quickly nodded in agreement.

A moment later, her joyful face was once again filled with shyness. "We’re going right now? Should I show you around first? Neon Village has a lot of fun things."

"No need. Let’s go directly. I can’t wait."

"Okay~" The petite Mineral Race member lowered her head, looking down at her feet with her hands behind her back, extremely embarrassed.

Shibeng remained standing resolutely, like a knight preparing to march into battle.

After bidding farewell to Li Luo and agreeing to meet up again later, Shibeng followed the petite Mineral Race member deeper into the village.

Mo Ling watched the two of them, feeling like his mind kept wandering to inappropriate places.

Shaking his head to clear it of all his dirty thoughts, Mo Ling flew toward the building the petite Mineral Race member had pointed out earlier.

It was a cylindrical building, constructed entirely from beautiful, dark, ancient stone tiles. Although not as dazzling as the other gemstone structures, the carved patterns on its upper sections were exceptionally exquisite and beautiful.

As Mo Ling drew closer, the internal structure came into view.

Inside this simple and elegant building was a series of spiral staircases, descending level by level into the ground.

Each level held various different objects, and some Mineral Race members were engrossed in research on the platforms.

’It’s actually a research institute-like building.’ Mo Ling was somewhat shocked by the contrast between the building’s interior and exterior.

’Why would the village chief be in a place like this?’

’Mo Ling had assumed the chief would be in a place like an administrative hall. Could the petite Mineral Race member have pointed them to the wrong place?’

When he reached the bottom, Mo Ling discovered that the cylindrical building, which looked very low-key from a distance, was actually spectacular up close.

His field of vision couldn’t even take it all in.

After circling the stone pillar, he discovered something even stranger.

The stone pillar had no entrance.

It was just a column that extended all the way up to the cavern ceiling, with no visible passageway for entry or exit.

If Mo Ling hadn’t been able to see inside, he would have thought it was just a solid pillar meant to support the cavern.

The walls of the pillar were composed of extremely dense, dark crystals. There was no trace of an entrance; Mo Ling couldn’t even find a seam.

Li Luo also circled the pillar with the Block, and she too was bewildered to find no entrance.

She seemed to think the pillar was solid. She subconsciously reached out and knocked on it, producing a thick, solid sound.

She grew even more puzzled, constantly looking up and examining the pillar, probably also suspecting that the petite Mineral Race member had given them the wrong directions.

However, as Li Luo lowered her hand, the spot on the pillar she had knocked underwent a dramatic change.

Starting from the point she had knocked, the small black fragments making up the pillar suddenly began to float out slowly. Seeing this, Li Luo quickly backed away.

Immediately after, those small black fragments suddenly scattered, anchoring themselves in midair.

A semi-circular opening appeared on the pillar, just large enough for Li Luo and Mo Ling to pass through.

The opening gradually expanded. The scattered black fragments that had flown into the air arranged themselves very neatly, extending from the top of the opening down to the ground along several curves, forming a huge hemisphere.

Once the opening on the pillar stabilized, the black fragments also fixed in place, floating silently in the air.

The black curves formed by the connected fragments also left paths wide enough for Li Luo and Mo Ling to pass through.

And Mo Ling, looking at these graceful, uniform curves, was filled with shock.

’These are... magnetic field lines!’